With children now able to get a needle-free flu vaccine at no cost in most other states, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has called on the Victorian Government to make painless flu vaccination free for children.
While Victorian families must pay privately at a cost of around $60 per child to access needle-free intranasal flu vaccines, the NSW Government today joined Queensland in making the vaccine free for all children aged 2–17.
With the needle-free nasal vaccines already making a difference in uptake in NSW and other states, RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz again called on the Victorian Government to support affordable vaccine access.
"A bad flu can put a child in hospital," she said.
"That's a risk families don't need, and it's additional pressure our hospital system doesn't need. We should be making things as easy as possible for kids and families to stay safe over winter.
"GPs at my practice have administered intranasal vaccines for a fair number of children already. No tears, no fear, just a quick spray to the nose. It's a world of difference.
"But families have to pay privately for their children to be vaccinated against the flu without a needle. That's a cost of $60 to avoid a needle, and friction against vaccination. About two thirds of kids have a strong fear of needles, and so do about a quarter of adults.
"Everyone should get a flu vaccination, and the National Immunisation Program funds free traditional vaccines for young children, seniors, and others at higher risk.
"But the Victorian Government can and should make vaccination needle-free and fear-free for children, and easy for their parents, before our flu season truly gets started."
So far in 2026, there have been almost 6000 laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Victoria, and over 31,000 nationally.
After years of falling vaccination rates, flu vaccination coverage for children jumped this year after NSW, Queensland, SA, and WA made intranasal vaccinations free for younger age groups.
Nationally, 15.2% of children aged 2–5 have received a flu vaccine this year, versus 11.9% in 2025.
Dr Muñoz said the Victorian Government should take this as evidence that free intranasal vaccines boost uptake.
"Vaccination rates have been falling, and we shouldn't ignore what we're seeing in other states," she said.
"Health departments have been struggling to improve flu vaccine uptake for years. Pharmacy vaccinations haven't stopped the decline. Free intranasal vaccines appear to be making a real difference.
"The first year these vaccines have been easily accessible for a large share of Australian children is also the first year we've seen a significant increase in flu vaccine uptake since 2020.
"Needle-free vaccines are the best thing we've seen in years, and the Government should make sure all Victorian families can access them."
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