Influenza Vaccination

Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that affects the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness even in people who are usually healthy.

The flu virus changes every year, and a yearly flu shot is a simple way to protect yourself, your family, and your community.

Hear from a young family as they share why they choose to make yearly flu vaccination part of how they care for their family and community.

What is the Flu?

Influenza (flu) is a highly contagious virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe
It is more serious than a common cold and can lead to complications like pneumonia, sepsis, and hospitalisation
Flu is most common in autumn and winter, but can be around at any time of year
Flu is a leading cause of hospitalisation in our communities.

Getting vaccinated early is the best way to protect yourself and your community. The flu vaccine is free and recommended for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and over.

Symptoms of the Flu

People with the flu may experience some or all the following:

Fever and chills
Cough, sore throat, runny or blocked nose
Muscle aches, joint pain and headaches
Feeling very tired or run down
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea (more common in children)

Symptoms can last over a week, and in some cases may lead to serious illness and hospitalisation.

How the Flu spreads

Flu spreads easily:

Through droplets in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes
By touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth
People with the flu can spread the virus before they feel unwell and while they still have symptoms

Why the Flu Vaccine is Important

Vaccination helps to:

Reduce the risk of getting really sick
Protect babies, Elders and those most vulnerable
Reduce the spread of flu

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

The flu vaccine is recommended every year for everyone aged 6 months and over. This includes children, teenagers and adults of all ages.

It’s especially important for:

Young children
Elders
Pregnant women
People with chronic health conditions
Health and community workers

The New Nasal Spray Vaccine: FluMist

There is now a different way for children to get the flu vaccine. FluMist is an intranasal spray (not a needle) and offers the same protection against flu as the needle vaccine. It has been used safely overseas for more than 10 years and is now approved for use in Australia.

FluMist is available for people aged 2 to 17 years and is FREE in NSW for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2 to 4 years.

How to prevent the Flu

You can help protect yourself and your community by:

Getting vaccinated every year
Washing hands regularly with soap and water
Covering coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue
Staying home if feeling unwell
Keep frequently touched surfaces clean

Diagnosis and treatment

Your GP may confirm flu with a PCR test (nose/throat swab).
Most people recover at home with rest, fluids, and pain or fever relief medication if needed. For some people, the GP may prescribe anti-viral medication
It’s important to seek medical care if you feel very unwell, you have difficulty breathing, or you are in a higher-risk group (e.g., you have a weakened immune system)

When should you stay home?

Stay home and avoid contact with others while you have symptoms.

If symptoms worsen or you develop severe tiredness, difficulty breathing, or ongoing fever, seek medical care.

Where Can I Get My Flu Shot?

You can get your flu vaccine at your local:

AMS (Aboriginal Medical Service)
GP clinic
Selected pharmacies

To find your nearest ACCHO, click here.

Immunisation Resources for Community

Looking for more information or resources to support your community?

NSW Health Influenza information page, fact sheetand information for families with young children
NSW Health Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine fact sheet
Flu vaccination FAQs by NCIRS
Information about flu vaccination for children, teenagers and pregnant people by SKAI
Create a personalised vaccination schedule for your child

Immunisation Resources for Services

AH&MRC Campaign Resources
AH&MRC Seasonal Influenza Preparedness Toolkit and Respiratory Infection Prevention and Control Manual
Information about 2026 Influenza vaccination updates
NSW Health Winter Respiratory Vaccination Toolkit and Respiratory Illness Campaign Resources for Aboriginal people
NCIRS Influenza immunisation resources
NSW Health nasal spray flu vaccine information for health professionals
RACGP nasal spray flu vaccine webinar
FluMist administration video (login required – sign up with AHPRA number)

Flu Myths Busted

The flu is serious, and could cause you to end up in hospital. Complications from the flu include severe breathing difficulties, pneumonia, sinus and ear infections, and heart and brain inflammation. It also increases risks of heart attack and stroke.

Injected flu vaccines contain inactivated virus and cannot give you the flu. The nasal spray flu vaccine for children contains a weakened form of the flu virus that does not cause the flu in children with healthy immune systems.

It’s common to get mild side effects after your flu vaccine, like feeling a bit achy or tired for a day or two – this is expected and shows your body is responding well to the vaccine. Sometimes people catch another virus like the common cold at around the same time they get vaccinated, and mistake this for the flu when it is actually a different virus. People can also catch the flu just before getting the flu vaccine, or before it has had time to be fully effective (up to two weeks after vaccination).

It takes up to two weeks for your body to develop protection after getting the flu vaccine, so you can still catch the flu just before or after you get vaccinated. That’s why we recommend getting your flu vaccine early (April/May), before the winter flu season starts.

There are also different types (or ‘strains’) of flu virus. While the vaccine is updated each year to include the most common strains, it’s possible to catch a new or less common strain of flu that isn’t in the vaccine.

Even if you catch the flu after getting your flu vaccine, it reduces your chances of getting really sick or developing complications.

Anyone can get sick with the flu and develop serious complications, even if they are usually fit and healthy. While older people, young ones, and people with chronic conditions are most at risk of severe illness, it can happen to anyone. Getting vaccinated helps to stop you getting REALLY sick and needing to go to hospital. It also helps stop the spread to our old people, young ones and pregnant mums.

Flu vaccination is safe and recommended for all people over 6 months of age. It’s also safe and recommended at any stage of pregnancy to protect both mum and baby.