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Another state adopts needle-free flu vaccination
The SA Government is the latest to announce a new program administered by GPs, aimed at protecting young children.
Young children can be particularly vulnerable to severe flu infection.
South Australia will join New South Wales and Queensland in offering a free no-needle flu vaccination program to young children from next year.
The South Australian Government announced this week it will introduce the intranasal influenza vaccine, sold as FluMist, which will be administered by GPs to young patients aged 2–4 years ahead of next year’s flu season.
The New South Wales and Queensland governments announced similar plans last week.
RACGP Board and SA Chair Dr Siân Goodson welcomes the move.
‘We’re throwing our support behind needle-free influenza vaccine access, at no cost to families. This is a lifesaving move,’ she said.
‘Intranasal sprays will have a significant impact.
‘We know that many children are fearful of needles, and that two thirds of parents say the distress about vaccinating their child is a barrier.’
It is a point SA’s Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier also acknowledges.
‘As a paediatrician, I know it can be scary for young children to have needles,’ she said.
‘Given the flu vaccine needs to be administered every year, this new needle-free vaccine is a wonderful option, and I hope will encourage families to have their children vaccinated, as recently shown in other countries.’
According to the SA Government, the introduction of a needle-free vaccination program for young children in the United Kingdom and the United States has led to significant improvements in vaccination rates and a reduction in illness in both countries.
While SA has a relatively high flu vaccination rate, for children aged under five it stands at around 25%.
The vaccine, which is sprayed into the nose, offers a similar level of protection for this age group as the existing immunisation.
According to the state government, 178 children aged 2–4 have been hospitalised with flu in South Australia so far this year, with more than 1800 cases reported within the age group.
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