Flu Vaccinations

Flu vaccines are still available. As specialised Flu Clinics for 2026 are finished, please phone the clinic on 9875 1123 to book.

The GP will check your eligibility and offer a Covid booster at this visit if appropriate.

The Department of Health 2026 flu season advice is below.

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all people aged 6 months and over, but only the categories below are eligible for free influenza vaccines under the National Immunisation Program (NIP):

• ages 6 months to less than 5 years
• ages 65 years and above
• pregnant women (during any stage of pregnancy)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and above
• people who have certain medical conditions which increase the risk of influenza disease complications (cardiac disease, chronic respiratory conditions, chronic neurological conditions, immunocompromising conditions, chronic metabolic disorders, chronic kidney disease, haematological disorders, and children aged 5 to 10 years taking long-term aspirin therapy).

The General Practitioners who consult from Blackburn Clinic have decided that ‘Flu Clinic’ consultations (which do not address anything other than the flu vaccine) will be billed to Medicare.  If you have your flu vaccine as part of a normal consultation with your regular doctor, normal consultation fees will apply.

If you are not eligible for a free Government flu vaccine, the vaccine will cost $20.

Nasal flu vaccine for children

Used by millions of children overseas for over 20 years, the intranasal flu vaccine  is now approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia. 

It is available as an option for children aged 2 to 17 and costs $55 (incl GST).

The injectable flu vaccine continues to be available and is free for children aged 6 months to 5 years and those with qualifying conditions. Outside this group, the injection costs $20 (incl GST).

The nasal flu vaccine is administered by a GP, nurse, or an accredited pharmacist, as a gentle spray into each nostril, rather than an injection into the arm.

It is considered as safe and as effective as the injection, with side effects of a runny or blocked nose, headache and mild tiredness observed at times.

Serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis are extremely rare. The nasal flu vaccine is a live vaccine and so cannot be administered to immunocompromised patients.

Parents can choose either option at the time of the flu consultation. 

Protecting your children from flu is very important. More than one in three flu cases occur in children under 15 years of age, with children under 5 particularly vulnerable.