Vulnerable Australians will be able to access a new type of flu vaccine for free this year, after it was added to the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
The cell-based vaccine, Flucelvax Quad, is grown in mammal cells, rather than in chicken eggs like most others, and is designed to match the virus strains likely to circulate in the upcoming flu season.
While it was approved for use in 2021, this will be the first year it will be available to eligible Australians for free under the NIP.
The vaccine is now available for Australians aged between five and 64 who are most vulnerable to the flu.
Those eligible include pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and patients with co-existing medical conditions like cardiac disease, immunocompromising conditions, chronic respiratory and neurological conditions and metabolic disorders like diabetes.
Infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy said the vaccine is a welcome addition to the NIP.
"Seasonal circulation of influenza is expected to continue, which means vulnerable groups remain at high risk of infection and potentially life-threatening complications," Booy said.
"Being able to offer a cell-based influenza vaccine to vulnerable patients on the NIP gives GPs, and now pharmacists, an important option for protection against the virus, which ultimately enables more Australians to be prepared for flu season."
"Research indicates that 50 per cent of Australians consider flu to be very serious and people can die from it.
"Yet in 2023, only about 25 per cent of the population aged five to 64 years were vaccinated against influenza.
"With coverage like that, there's certainly a strong chance that many vulnerable Australians are not getting vaccinated against influenza."
Flucelvax Quad, made by local pharmaceutical company CSL Seqirus, is the only cell-based influenza vaccine in Australia.
