Australia’s worst flu season on record sparks warning from doctors as vaccine hesitancy deepens
Australia has endured its worst flu season on record, with doctors warning vaccine complacency remains a major public health concern.
In a study adjusted for population, 2025 has seen the highest rate of lab-confirmed influenza cases in the nation’s history.
It has been confirmed that four states, including Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia, have committed to offering free nasal spray vaccines for children next year.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.A move which has been welcomed by the Royal Australian College of GPs, which says it could ease fears among parents whose kids dread needles.
“This is not a record we want to be breaking; we must boost vaccination rates and reverse this trend,” college president Michael Wright said.
“We must fight complacency and get more jabs in arms to help keep as many patients as possible out of hospital and ensure that next year’s flu case number figures are heading in the right direction.
“Getting vaccinated not only help keeps yourself as safe as possible but also your friends and family members. This should act as a wake-up call to all patients across Australia.”
New national data confirms 2025 as the worst flu year on record, with 1.5 per cent of Australians recording lab-confirmed infections, 12.5 per cent on last year’s all-time high.
Vaccination rates remain worryingly low.
Only 25 per cent of children aged six months to five years received a flu shot this year, while uptake among over-60s fell to 60.5 per cent.
The college is now urging other states and territories to follow suit and roll out free nasal vaccines for children in 2026.
“Needle-free vaccinations make such a difference,” Dr Wright said.
“The vaccination rate for young children, who are at increased risk of contracting a severe flu infection, has fallen to just one in four and they’re also coming down with influenza more often than any other patient group.”
Dr Wright said the nasal vaccine had been successfully introduced in the UK, Italy, Finland and Spain.
“Many kids are fearful of needles, which can stall vaccination efforts – particularly as two-thirds of parents say the distress they feel when thinking about vaccinating their child acts as a barrier.”
NSW has been the hardest hit this year, recording more than 153,000 cases, well ahead of Victoria’s 95,480.
Nationwide, children under five accounted for 10.9 per cent of all infections, while one-third of cases were in patients under 15.
- With Newswire.
