GPs have urged the Tasmanian Government to follow the lead of other states and territories and commit to a rollout of free intranasal influenza vaccines for children aged two to five from next year.
It comes following the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) throwing its support behind Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia heeding the College's calls and introducing free childhood intranasal influenza vaccinations in 2026 ahead of the peak-flu season. 2025 has seen Australia record more than 391,000 lab-confirmed flu cases.
RACGP Tasmania Chair, Toby Gardner, warned that Tasmanian families should not be left behind.
"We must catch up; young children's lives are at risk," he said.
"Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and now Western Australia have committed to delivering non-needle childhood flu vaccinations via an intranasal spray next year ahead of the peak 2026 flu season.
"Why should Tasmanian families deserve no less? We must do all we can to keep young children, who are among the most at risk from a severe flu infection including hospitalisation, as safe as possible. I can't think of a more cost-effective and timely healthcare initiative than this one, it just makes sense."
Dr Gardner assured families that the needle-free method was safe and effective.
"The intranasal spray is a proven vaccine that will have a significant impact across our state," he said.
"Many children are fearful of needles and two thirds of parents tell us the level of distress they experience when thinking about vaccinating their child acts as a barrier. Intranasal sprays provide the same level of protection and have been thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy.
"Finland, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain have had intranasal flu vaccines for years and these countries have seen substantial increases in vaccination coverage in high-risk patient groups."
The RACGP Tasmania Chair said that the new intranasal vaccine couldn't come at a more important time.
"We must boost our flu vaccination rates," he said.
"This year, in Tasmania and across Australia, vaccination rates fell, and flu cases rose. We've had more than 6,500 lab-confirmed cases of the flu this year statewide, compared to just over 4,000 last year. This is part of a much larger trend, with more than 391,000 flu cases in Australia in 2025.
"So, it's vital that we boost our flu vaccination rates, and unfortunately, not enough patients are doing so, including families with young children. This year, less than 30% of children aged six months to five years in our state are vaccinated against the flu.
"Let's work together and lift those numbers, because ensuring you and your family members are vaccinated helps protects others in your community too. Some people are particularly vulnerable to severe effects, this includes not only young children, but also older patients, the immunocompromised and people with serious health issues such as chronic disease. Keep in mind also that anyone, even otherwise young and healthy adults, can end up in hospital after contracting this virus.
"I plead for the Tasmanian Government to act ahead of next year's flu season. Our national COVID-19 vaccine rollout was the envy of many countries around the globe, but I fear that a certain level of 'vaccine fatigue' has crept in. This has potentially resulted in some people approaching vaccinations for other diseases, including the flu, less seriously.
"There's no point looking in the rearview mirror, let's rollout this new intranasal vaccine and do all we can to ensure next year's flu numbers are heading in the right direction. We can, and should, save lives at risk of influenza in 2026 and beyond."
Earlier this year, the RACGP urged Australians to protect themselves and others against the flu, warning of rising case numbers and hospitalisations during the peak winter months.
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