Vaccination is our best defence against flu viruses. Behaviours such as increased handwashing and social distancing helped stop the spread of flu viruses in the community last year. Relaxing social distancing restrictions this year may allow flu viruses to recirculate, even if they were hardly seen in 2020.
Under the National Immunisation Program, free flu vaccines are provided to the following groups who are at higher risk of complications from flu:
- Children aged six months to less than five years
- All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months and over
- people aged six months and over with certain medical conditions that increase their chance of severe influenza and its complications
- pregnant women (at any stage during pregnancy)
- people aged 65 years and over.
Free flu vaccines will be available from general practices, community health clinics, Aboriginal Medical Services and other immunisation providers. Patients can locate a service in their area on the healthdirect website.
Vaccination experts recommend waiting 14 days between getting a flu vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine. Given this, it will be important to plan both vaccinations.
It does not matter in what order patient’s get their vaccines, however:
- Patients in the early phase of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout should get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
- Those in later phases of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout should get their flu vaccine as soon as possible. This will ensure patients are ready for their COVID19 vaccine when it is available.
More information is available on the DoH website.
This information is correct as of 27 April 2021.