Victorian Government urged to fund needle-free vaccine

With children in most other states now able to access a needle-free flu vaccine at no out-of-pocket cost, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is urging the Victorian Government to extend the same free access to children in the state.

While Victorian families must pay privately at a cost of around $60 per child to access AstraZeneca’s needle-free FluMist intranasal flu vaccine, the NSW Government recently joined Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia jurisdictions in making the vaccine free for all children aged 2–17.

“A bad flu can put a child in hospital,” said RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz. “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,” she added. “But families have to pay privately for their children to be vaccinated against the flu without a needle. About two thirds of kids have a strong fear of needles, and so do about a quarter of adults.”

The renewed focus comes as influenza vaccination rates continue to decline among young children, despite the vaccine being recommended for everyone over six months of age. Those under five remain at elevated risk of severe illness, yet uptake has fallen markedly since 2020.

Data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) shows that by September 2025, only 25.7% of children under five had received a flu jab, compared with 44.6% in 2020. In NSW, coverage dropped even further, with less than a quarter of children in this age group vaccinated in 2025, well below the 40% target outlined in the state’s 2024–28 immunisation strategy.

At the national level, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the Labor Government released the National Immunisation Strategy (NIS) 2025–2030 in mid-June 2025, aiming to address the growing complexity of immunisation delivery in the post-pandemic environment.

However, policy ambition is increasingly intersecting with shifting social and psychological dynamics that influence vaccine decision-making. Research from NCIRS indicates that negative beliefs about vaccine safety remain the most significant barrier to uptake, followed by a lack of trust in information provided by healthcare professionals.

“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,” said Dr Muñoz. “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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