A new needle-free, intra-nasal influenza vaccine for children aged two years to under five years will be rolled out across NSW next year.
Influenza vaccination rates for children aged under five remain low. While anyone can get influenza, some people are at higher risk of severe illness, including children under five years of age.
The new FluMist intra-nasal vaccine has been widely used in the Northern Hemisphere for many years and is undergoing regulatory approval in Australia ahead of next year’s influenza season.
The vaccine is sprayed into the nose and provides the same protection as the currently available vaccine for this age group. The vaccine will be available through general practitioners.
This needle-free alternative to injectable influenza vaccine for children is expected to increase their uptake of the vaccine ahead of the 2026 winter influenza season.
It is expected the vaccine will also be available in the private market for other age groups, depending on regulatory approval.
Influenza in young children causes significant impacts on the individual and the health system more broadly. In 2025 to August 31, children aged 0 to 4 years old made up 13 per cent of influenza notifications in NSW, and children aged 5 to 9 years old made up 16 per cent of notifications.
This year so far, there have been more than 3000 presentations to emergency departments in NSW for influenza-like illness in children less than 5 years old, and more than 600 hospital admissions.
