Prepare now for flu season
A new influenza variant has already started to spread in Australia. It’s time to think about vaccination.
Where to get the jab
Vaccination is available from your GP and some pharmacies.
The 2026 flu vaccine is already available in Queensland and should be available across Australia in April.
For more information, the National Immunisation Program fact sheet is here.
If you have questions or concerns about vaccination, speak to your GP.
Health authorities are urging older Australians to receive their influenza vaccination as early as possible this year because an unusually fast‑moving strain of the virus has begun circulating well ahead of the traditional flu season.
The new H3N2 variant, known as “Super‑K”, is already spreading across Australia, contributing to heightened concern among public health experts.
ABC News reported that experts are “nervous” heading into the 2026 flu season because Super‑K started circulating in summer and vaccination rates remain low.
The call for early vaccination is crucial for older Australians, who face the greatest risk of severe illness and death from influenza.
According to the Immunisation Coalition,
Older immune systems also respond less effectively to standard flu vaccines, which is why enhanced formulations and high-dose vaccinations are recommended.
These enhanced vaccines offer stronger protection against severe flu, especially type A (H3N2) strains that disproportionately impact older people.
Government health agencies are also reinforcing the message. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation advises that annual influenza vaccination should occur as soon as vaccines become available, typically from April, and that even those vaccinated late in 2025 should still receive the updated 2026 vaccine.
Other vaccines to consider
Older Australians who have had chicken pox at some time in their life should seriously consider being vaccinated for shingles.
Shingles is caused by the reactivation, often many years later, of varicella-zoster, the virus that causes chickenpox.
The condition can be extremely painful and a free two-dose Shingrex vaccination is available to all Australians over 65, and to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 50.
For more information about shingles, click here.
COVID-19 also remains active in the community. Read about your vaccination and booster options here.
Queensland Health similarly emphasises that annual vaccination is the most effective way to prevent serious flu complications and notes that all adults aged 65 and older are eligible for the National Immunisation Program–funded enhanced vaccine.
The emergence of Super‑K provides another compelling reason for early action. The strain has spread earlier and faster than typical influenza variants and has undergone mutations that reduce the ability of vaccine‑derived antibodies to block infection, according to CSIRO researchers.
However, the current vaccine still significantly reduces the severity of illness. With early circulation already documented and thousands of cases expected, delaying vaccination could leave you exposed before peak flu season.
Related reading: ABC, CSIRO, RACGP, Health Queensland
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