If you're eligible, you can get the influenza vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).Find information that will help you deliver your service to your patientsVaccination is a safe and effective way to protect you from serious disease caused by influenza.By getting vaccinated against influenza, you can also help protect other people, especially people who are too sick or too young to be vaccinated. Why children are offered flu vaccine. The flu virus is very easy to catch and can affect anyone - it doesn't matter how fit and healthy your child is. This is a seasonal vaccine that is given yearly. Flu shots can be given to your child 6 months and older. The vaccine also changes every year to match these strains.Influenza immunisation is recommended every year for:Influenza immunisations are available in each Australian state and territory.Influenza vaccines available in Australia are given as a needle. Influenza (flu) protects against the flu. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they’re not.For most people, the chance of having a serious side effect from a vaccine is much lower than the chance of serious harm if you caught the disease.Talk to your immunisation provider about possible side effects of the influenza vaccines, or if you or your child have possible side effects that worry you.If you need advice or more information about immunisation, go to our We are always looking for ways to improve our website. The flu season usually lasts between the months of October to May. This is because the most common strains of the virus that cause influenza change every year. Flu shot for babies below 6 months is not recommended. What vaccines protect against flu? make sure your family is ready to prevent the flu each year - ask your nurse or doctor about flu immunisation, including its cost, or phone 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863) How easy is it to catch the flu? It is important to get the right vaccine for your age.Your immunisation provider can tell you which vaccine they will use for you or your child's influenza immunisation.Vaccines covered by the NIP are free for people who are eligible. Flu is a very common infection in babies and children. You can check this when you make your appointment.If you are not eligible for free vaccine, you may need to pay for it. Babies and children 6 months to 9 years of age who have never had a flu shot will need 2 doses of the vaccine, given at least 4 weeks apart. It can be very unpleasant for them. Flu vaccines are given as a needle and are only available on their own (not as a combination vaccine). Over the last 10 years, the flu vaccine's generally been a good match for the circulating strains of flu so you can be confident getting vaccinated is the best way to help protect yourself against flu. It'll still work even if, after the vaccination, your child develops a runny nose, sneezes or blows their nose.Children should have their nasal spray flu vaccination delayed if they're unwell with a high temperature.The vaccination can be delayed until they feel better.If a child has a heavily blocked or runny nose, it might stop the vaccine getting into their system.In this case, their flu vaccination can be postponed until their nasal symptoms have cleared up.Children may not be able to have the nasal spray flu vaccine if they have:If your child is at high risk of flu as a result of 1 or more medical conditions or treatments and cannot have the nasal flu vaccine because of this, they should have the injected flu vaccine.If you're not sure, check with the school immunisation team, the nurse or GP at your surgery, or a specialist.Flu is a very common infection in babies and children. The children's flu vaccine is offered as a yearly nasal spray to young children to help protect them against Flu can be a very unpleasant illness for children, with potentially serious complications, including In the autumn/winter of 2020 to 2021, the vaccine will be available free on the NHS for eligible children, including:Children aged 2 and 3 will be given the vaccination at their GP surgery, usually by the practice nurse.Children who are 4 years old are also eligible for flu vaccination provided they were 3 on 31 August 2020.These children should be offered the vaccination at their GP surgery.Schoolchildren will be offered their vaccination in school.