Patient experiences of flu vaccinations post-COVID

What’s your experience in talking about the influenza vaccine with your patients since the COVID-19 pandemic?
 
Have you encountered a higher degree of hesitancy about vaccination among your patients in recent times?
 
I have certainly noticed a reluctance of some people to accept COVID-19 vaccination advice, but many are still prepared to have influenza vaccination.
 
I don’t find it worthwhile arguing with people who have developed anti vaccination views – just stating that ‘I recommend it based on the science and my training and ongoing education’ is enough to get them thinking about it after the consultation.
 
It’s a bit like advice on smoking cessation. Brief interventions can make a difference.
 
The 2026 influenza vaccine is now available to Australian adults and children aged six months and older.
 
Getting the vaccination as soon as possible, ideally before the end of May, will provide the best protection against the flu for a person over the coming winter, but any time is a good time to get vaccinated.
 
GPs can be the critical link in combating misinformation about vaccines among patients.
 
Providing timely and accurate details about the positive benefits of vaccination at the point of care helps allay fears. When these discussions take place in the clinic, GPs can answer questions from an evidence-based perspective and address specific concerns about safety and effectiveness.
 
Patients can be assured that their unique health circumstances are taken into account when GPs are recommending vaccination, as their GP is best placed to provide whole-of-person care.
 
The discussions you have with your patients about vaccination have a real-world impact. They might be the difference between a person deciding to go ahead with their influenza vaccine or skip it.
 
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has stated that recommendation by a healthcare provider is the strongest predictor of a person’s decision to vaccinate.
 
Positive recommendation to parents among your patient cohort also drives uptake among children.
 
A recent Australian paper found that the greatest difference between parents who vaccinated their children under five against the flu in 2025 and those who did not was the decision to prioritise vaccination.
 
The authors of that paper suggested a salient factor could be a lack of prompts or recommendations from healthcare providers to parents, inadvertently signalling to them that flu vaccination is a low priority.
 
Many children (and parents!) experience distress at the thought of having a needle, and for some, this might be a significant deterrent to vaccination.
 
This year, we have another arrow in the quiver in our fight against influenza. For the first time, children can access a needle-free influenza immunisation, marketed in Australia as FluMist.
 
This intranasal live-attenuated influenza vaccine is free of charge for certain children in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, and available at private cost in other states and territories.
 
The RACGP has a range of immunisation resources to assist you as we head into a new influenza season. The website has specific information for each state and territory, posters for your waiting room, links to ATAGI advice, and more.
 
With every conversation about vaccination, we have a valuable opportunity to drive the trend upwards and protect the most vulnerable people in our communities against influenza.
 
Arm yourself with key information about the 2026 influenza vaccine patients today.
 
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COVID-19 flu influenza vaccinations