Immunisation resources

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has released its 2026 influenza vaccination advice ahead of this year’s flu season.

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended, ideally before the start of the influenza season.

You must report all influenza vaccinations, both National Immunisation Program (NIP) and privately purchased, to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

Healthcare provider recommendation is the strongest predictor of a person's decision to vaccinate. Please familiarise yourself with the latest advice and resources as they become available and discuss these with your patients.
 

Key points and updates for 2026

• For adults aged 65 years and over, both the NIP funded adjuvanted vaccine (Fluad®) and the private market high dose influenza vaccine (Fluzone High-Dose) are equally preferentially recommended over standard influenza vaccines.
• Flucelvax®, a cell-based vaccine, is NIP funded for people aged 5 to 64 years with medical conditions that put them at increased risk of complications from influenza. There is no preferential recommendation between Flucelvax® and standard dose egg-based influenza vaccines.
• In 2026, the intranasally administered live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) will be available for the first time in Australia for children aged 2–17 years by private prescription, and through statebased immunisation programs in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia (See 'Intranasal live-attenuated influenza vaccine' section below).
• Influenza vaccines can be co-administered with other vaccines.

The factsheet also includes specific advice on:

• special considerations for travelling patients
• children aged six months to less than five years 
• pregnant women
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
• people aged 65 years and over
• medically at-risk patients.

Read full ATAGI advice
 

Updates to the Australian Immunisation Handbook influenza chapter

The Australian Immunisation Handbook influenza chapter has been updated to include:

• information on the LAIV as an alternative to inactivated influenza vaccines for those eligible (see section below)
• changes to recommended doses, being that whilst most individuals should receive one dose of influenza vaccine each year, when receiving influenza vaccine for the first time, healthy children aged 6 months to <2 years and only those with medical risk conditions aged 6 months to <9 years should receive 2 doses, given 4 weeks apart
• that people aged from 50 years may receive adjuvanted influenza vaccine (Fluad) as an alternative to standard-dose influenza vaccine.

 Access the handbook
 

Eligibility for influenza vaccines funded by the National Immunisation Program (NIP)

Annual influenza vaccination is funded under the NIP for:

• all children aged 6 months to < 5 years;
• ​all adults aged ≥65 years; 
• ​pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy
• First Nations people aged 6 months and over
• People aged 6 months and over with certain medical conditions (see conditions outlined in ATAGI advice).

​Some states and territory governments also fund influenza vaccines for other groups. Please refer your state or territory health department website (links at the top of this page) for more information.

The Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released a National Immunisation Program fact sheet with program advice for health professionals for the 2026 influenza (flu) season.

Intranasal live-attenuated influenza vaccine 

The intranasal live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) FluMist® has been approved for use in Australia for children aged 2 years to under 18 years, and is now available.

Some states have announced funding for use of the intranasal vaccine for eligible children, including: 
NSW: children aged two to 17 years
SA: children aged two to under five years
QLD: all children aged two to five years (inclusive), and children aged six to 17 years (inclusive) who struggle with getting a needle
WA: children aged two to under 12.
Please refer your state or territory health department website (links at the top of this page) for more information.

The LAIV is available for children aged 2–17 years by private prescription.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance has released influenza resources that addres the new intranasal LAIV, including:

• revised influenza FAQs 
• a resource for health professionals comparing the inactivated influenza vaccine with the live attenuated vaccine
• a table summarising state and territory funding for the intranasal flu vaccine in 2026.

Key resources:

• Australian Immunisation Handbook: Influenza
• 2026 NIP influenza website
• 2026 NIP influenza resources
• National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance: influenza FAQs 

 

Stay up-to-date

Further advice and resources will be available on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website as it becomes available.

You can also subscribe to receive the latest updates on National Immunisation Program (NIP).

 

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule is a series of immunisations given at specific times from birth through to adulthood.

The Department of Health and Aged Care’s National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule webpage contains information on:

• the NIP Schedule
• catch-up immunisations
• State and territory immunisation schedules
• International immunisation schedules

You can subscribe to the program’s mailing list to receive all the latest updates.

State and territory health departments also fund some additional vaccines. Access further information on state and territory schedules via the appropriate link at the top of this page.
 

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine now available for older Australians under the NIP

From 15 May 2026, the Australian Government will introduce free RSV vaccinations for older Australians through the NIP. It will be funded for adults aged 75 years and over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 60 years and over.

You can find information on the NIP RSV for older Australians vaccination program below:

• Program advice for health professionals
• RSV vaccine and monoclonal antibody poster
• Consumer fact sheet
• Frequently asked questions

Further information and resources will be available on the department’s website in time for the program commencement on 15 May 2026.
Subscribe to the NIP email list to receive the latest updates.
 

Changes to childhood pneumococcal vaccine under the NIP 

Subsequent to advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the government has made changes to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) in relation to the childhood pneumococcal vaccine schedule. 

Prevenar 20 was introduced into the NIP on 1 September 2025 to replace Prevenar 13 and Pneumovax 23 on the childhood schedule.

The introduction of Prevenar 20 simplifies the vaccine schedule, reduces the number of doses and covers more strains of the disease.

All First Nations children will receive 4 doses, making the program consistent across all states and territories.

Children under 5 years, who have:

• not yet started their pneumococcal schedule should receive 3 doses of Prevenar 20.
• previously received 1 or 2 doses of Prevenar 13 should receive Prevenar 20 for all subsequent doses to complete the recommended vaccination course (where  required).
• already completed a Prevenar 13 vaccination course who are due for a Pneumovax 23 booster should receive 1 dose of Prevenar 20 instead. Do not delay vaccination, if required, Pneumovax 23 can still be used (while stock is available).

Further advice is available in the Australian Immunisation Handbook. 
 

COVID-19 vaccinations no longer recommended for healthy infants and children under the age of 18

Please note that the COVID-19 vaccine is not recommended for healthy infants, children or adolescents under the age of 18 who do not have medical conditions that increase their risk of severe illness. The risk of severe illness has been deemed as extremely low in this cohort over the course of the pandemic, and benefits of vaccination are not considered to outweigh the potential harms.

For further guidance and recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s COVID-19 webpage.
 

 

At the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) in November 2025, several key issues were discussed. A report has been developed for GPs to provide updates on:

• the decline of immunisation coverage in Australia
• the 2025 flu season
• new influenza products in 2026
• how you as a GP can assist. 

Read the report

 

All vaccines administered to a patient should be recorded by the vaccine provider to the AIR, irrespective of whether they were administered as part of the NIP or privately.

It is now mandatory to upload a record of administration of the following vaccines to the AIR:

• COVID-19
• seasonal influenza
• vaccines given under the National Immunisation Program (NIP)
• Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)

Mandatory data elements when uploading a record include:

• relevant vaccines: COVID-19, influenza, NIP and JEV vaccines
• how to report: electronic, or if this is not reasonably practical then in written form
• when to report: within 24 hours, and no more than 10 working days after the vaccination
• personal information: Medicare number (if applicable), name, contact details, date of birth, gender
• vaccine information: brand name, dose number and batch number, date given, for COVID19 vaccines – vial serial number (if known)
• provider information: provider number, name and contact details.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's Using the Australian Immunisation Register webpage contains information on:

• mandatory reporting to the AIR
• using the AIR to check a patient’s immunisation history
• identifying patients who are due/overdue a vaccine
• recording vaccine administration
• record accuracy
• vaccination information payments.

 

Antenatal reporting to be mandatory within the AIR from 1 March 2025

From 1 March 2025 it became mandatory for all vaccination providers to report to the AIR information about whether an individual was pregnant at the time of vaccine administration.
 

The collection of antenatal data is important to ensure the AIR contains a complete and reliable dataset to enable the monitoring of:

• immunisation coverage and administration; and

• the effectiveness and safety of maternal vaccines and vaccination programs. 

A new bespoke antenatal indictor has now been added to the AIR to support this reporting requirement.

Next steps:
You can report antenatal information to the AIR through clinical software or the AIR site, using either the:

• antenatal indicator - the new indicator will be rolled out in clinical software throughout 2025. You can update to the latest version of your clinical software to make sure the latest functionality is available

• vaccine type field - if the new Antenatal indicator is not yet available in your clinical software, you must report antenatal information to the AIR using the ‘Antenatal’ option under the ‘Vaccine type’ field.

Please contact your software provider if you are wanting to know when the new antenatal indicator will be available in your clinical software.

For further information on reporting information to the AIR, please visit the Services Australia website or contact immunisation.registers@health.gov.au
 

Update to COVID-19 vaccine names with the AIR

 

The Australian Immunisation Handbook provides national clinical guidance on the safest and most effective use of vaccines.

The Handbook’s recommendations are developed by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

You can find the latest statements by ATAGI on immunisation on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing webpage.

 

There will be scenarios where it is not appropriate to administer a vaccine due to a valid medical reason – be it temporarily or long-term. In such cases the person will require an Immunisation Medical Exemption.

Eligible GPs can provide an Immunisation Medical Exemption using the AIR site using HPOS (you’ll need an individual PRODA account) or via vaccination reporting software. If you don't have access to either of these, you can record a medical exemption using the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) - immunisation medical exemption form (IM011).

Someone who is not able to receive a vaccine may require evidence, for example, to receive family assistance payments or be eligible to attend school or childcare. Having this recorded in AIR provides that evidence.

Resources for health professionals

• The Australian Immunisation Handbook
• ‘Strive for 5’ - National Vaccine Storage Guidelines
• National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) Australia
• Immunisation Coalition

Resources for patients

• National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) – Reliable, evidence based information about vaccination
• Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) – is an NCIRS-led collaboration which has developed evidence-based communication tools aimed at improving conversations between vaccination providers and parents of young children, those who are pregnant and families about vaccination.
• Australian Academy of Science – provides information that explains the science of immunisation in clear and easy-to-understand language, with the aim of supporting community members to make good health decisions based on science.

This document does not constitute legal advice. The RACGP takes no responsibility for any loss of any description by a practice or person as a result of relying on this document.