(VIC) Add Free Intranasal Influenza Vaccines For Children to the State-funded Immunisation Schedule
Author: Allie Flanders, Anuk, Anisha, Kelly Wong, Henry Turner, Serena Leung, Edwina Berkeley-Saines, Bella Tam & Sienna Van Jour | Publish date: 8/10/2026
P: In VIC, the state-funded Immunisation Schedule does not provide children with free intranasal influenza vaccines.
S: The VIC Minister for Health should amend the Victorian Immunisation Schedule to add free intranasal influenza vaccines for children.
E: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) (2026): urges ‘the Victorian Government to add free … intranasal influenza vaccines for children to the state-funded immunisation schedule.’
Problem Identification:
The injectable influenza vaccine is ‘available under the NIP [National Immunisation Program] for people aged 5 to 64 years who [are] at greater risk of complications from influenza.’ However, intranasal influenza vaccines (delivered needle-free via a nasal spray) for children are not currently included on either the NIP or the Victorian Immunisation Schedule.
According to Grampians Health (GH), ‘this means that in VIC, if you would prefer your child receive an intranasal flu vaccine [rather than injectable], you will have to pay for your child to get it using a private prescription.’
Context:
The NIP refers to ‘a series of immunisations given at specific times throughout your life’ funded by the federal government. The Victorian Immunisation Schedule refers to ‘free vaccines and immunisation products ... funded by the Victorian Government for [select groups], including those not eligible for Medicare.’
Perth Children's Hospital paediatrician Dr Chris Blyth explained that ‘influenza is our most common vaccine-preventable disease’. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute stated that about 2 in 10 ‘infants and children hospitalised with the flu need care in an intensive care unit (ICU) and some will die’. In 2024, the Immunisation Coalition found that ‘over 2,300 children were hospitalised in Australia [for influenza], almost half under 5 years old’.
FluMist refers to a brand of intranasal flu vaccine, live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). According to GH, Australia approved an LAIV in late 2025, delivering the ‘flu vaccine through the nose in the form of a nasal spray’ for children aged 2 to 17. The University of Western Australia found that ‘nasal spray vaccines are now just as effective as injected vaccines’, reducing ‘influenza infection by 40–60%.’
Arguments:
Associate Professor Fei Sim (2025) from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) stated that ‘too many children are missing out on flu vaccination, and parents consistently tell us that the fear of needles is a barrier’. The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) explained that a child may be afraid of needles due to ‘fear of the pain’, or ‘fear of a foreign object entering their body’. According to RCH’s national poll in 2025, 13% of children aged 4 or above had ‘a phobia severe enough to stop them getting the flu vaccine.’ The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported that ‘since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, childhood vaccination rates have steadily declined’ due to ‘practical challenges … [and] concerns about vaccine safety’.
RACGP highlighted that ‘Victorian families must pay privately at a cost of around $60 per child to access needle-free intranasal flu vaccines’. PSA Vaccination Ambassador, Ms Theophilos, noted that the FluMist price point could be prohibitive for some patients at 2 to 3 times the cost of most intramuscular flu vaccines, as conveyed in private correspondence. A national survey (2024) by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance noted that ‘around 1 in 10 … parents reported … that they cannot afford costs associated with vaccinating their child against influenza’.
Shannon Deery of Herald Sun (2026) reported that ‘senior government sources’ in VIC had been unable to implement free intranasal influenza vaccines for children due to ‘fiscal restraints’. However, Pendrey et al. (2024) found that ‘influenza vaccination averted an annual average of 1182 ... hospitalizations [sic] and 3286 ... ED attendances’, and modelled savings of ‘$29,107,000 over the study period’.
Advice/Solution Identification:
RACGP called for adding free intranasal influenza vaccines ‘for children to the state-funded immunisation schedule.’ RACGP Victoria Chair, Dr Muñoz, expressed that she ‘can’t think of a more cost-effective and necessary healthcare measure than free intranasal vaccinations for young children’.
Precedent:
There is domestic and international precedent for making needle-free flu vaccines free for children. NSW, QLD, SA and WA provide free FluMist LAIV for children aged 2 and above via state-funded programs. Internationally, the UK, Finland, Denmark and the US have successfully offered LAIV ‘to children as part of pediatric [sic] influenza vaccination programs’.
Public Support of the Solution
(This list reflects publicly stated positions and should not necessarily be taken as endorsement of this specific brief.)
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) (2026)
PSA Vaccination Ambassador Anna Theophilos
Broad Support
Australian Medical Association South Australia - They called for ‘anything that removes a barrier to vaccination’ and said ‘the needle-free option could help improve vaccination uptake among young children’. However, they did not explicitly call for adding free intranasal influenza vaccines for children in the VIC state-funded immunisation program.
News Coverage:
The Guardian Australia - “Australia’s winter illness season is back – what viruses are prevalent this year and when should you get vaccinated?” This article reported that influenza vaccination rates among children under 5 had reached a three-year high, potentially linked to the introduction of free needle-free nasal vaccination in several states. By: Melissa Davey | 7 June 2026 - Read the article here.
The Sydney Morning Herald - “There’s a new nose-spray flu vaccine. Should your kids get it?” This article reported on long-term use of FluMist internationally, its effectiveness and availability across Australia. By: Liam Mannix | 28 April 2026 - Read the article here.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation - “FluMist nasal spray vaccine is available for use in Australia, but only some children will get it for free”. This article reported on the effectiveness of FluMist, a nasal spray influenza vaccine, and its availability in Australia. By: Emma Pollard | 4 April 2026 - Read the article here.
News Corp Australia - “Australia introduces nasal spray flu vaccine amid Super-K surge”. This article reported on the introduction of FluMist in Australia and noted that it was being provided free to eligible children in QLD, SA, NSW and WA, while Victorian families had to access it privately. By: Abisha Sapkota | 3 April 2026 - Read the article here.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation - “Needle phobia can impede jabs — but a hospital service is boosting vaccines and injections”. This article reported on how needle phobia can be a barrier to vaccination for children and highlighted accessibility services to support these families. By: Stephanie Richards | 25 Sep 2023 - Read the article here.
Where to go to learn more:
(2026) RACGP calls for free MenB and intranasal flu vaccines to protect Victorian families | RACGP - This article by the RACGP recommended the addition of free intranasal flu vaccines for children in Victoria. Read the article here.
(2026) NSW Nasal Spray Influenza Vaccination Program - Information for health professionals | NSW Health - This article discussed the Nasal Spray Influenza Vaccine program in NSW and outlined information about the vaccine itself. Read the article here.
(2026) A guide to children’s influenza vaccines: injection or nasal spray? | National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance Australia - This guide illustrated the difference between injected influenza vaccines and nasal spray influenza vaccines. Read the guide here.
(2026) Australia’s first real-world safety data confirm nasal spray influenza vaccine is well-tolerated by children and adolescents | AusVaxSafety - This article reported the safety of nasal spray influenza vaccine for Australian children. Read the article here.
(2026) National Immunisation Program schedule | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - This schedule detailed an immunisation timeline for recommended, Commonwealth-funded vaccines. Read the schedule here.
(2026) Victorian Immunisation schedule | Victorian Government - This schedule detailed an immunisation timeline for recommended vaccines funded by the Victorian government. Read the schedule here.
Human Perspective:
Brody is a 3-year-old boy growing up in Melbourne who was terrified of needles. His mother, Tracey, struggled to have him vaccinated because of his fears. When the needle-free vaccines were made available, Tracey was eager to have her son vaccinated. Unfortunately, she lived in VIC, where the intranasal influenza vaccine was not government-funded and she could not afford the out-of-pocket cost. Therefore, Brody was not taken to get the influenza vaccine. However, Brody contracted influenza that winter. He suffered extreme symptoms including seizures and a high temperature, resulting in hospitalisation and a permanent brain injury. This led Tracey to believe that if the intranasal vaccine was available and government-funded, these life-altering consequences could have been avoided.
To protect the anonymity of those involved, this is a fictionalised account drawn from an amalgamation of real-life stories, experiences and testimonials gathered during the research process for this brief. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
Conflict of interest/acknowledgment statement:
N/A.
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Reference list:
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. (2026). Influenza (flu) vaccine. https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/vaccines/influenza-flu-vaccine
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Immunisation and vaccination. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/immunisation-and-vaccination
Australian Pharmacist. (2025). Preparing for the 2026 intranasal flu vaccine roll out. https://www.australianpharmacist.com.au/preparing-for-the-2026-flumist-roll-out/
Bandell, A., Kassianos, G., Dibben, O., & El Azzi, G. (2025). Comparative effectiveness of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) and inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in children over multiple influenza seasons (2019–2023). Vaccine: X, 25, 100666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvacx.2025.100666
Goerling, S. (2026, April 14). WA government offers FluMist nasal spray vaccine free to children. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-14/flumist-needle-free-flu-vaccines-rolled-out-wa/106562540
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