Flip vaccines are now available on 2025. What is on offer and which I should receive?

It is at this time of year when flu vaccines become available in Australia. Perhaps you received E -Mail from your GP clinic or a text message from the pharmacy informing that they are in stock.

Until now, in 2025 in Australia More influenza notifications compared to the same period in previous years.

Elsewhere many countries of the Northern Hemisphere reported Intensive flu activity in the winter season 2024–25. It contains A few deaths in children.

Although it is complex to predict the intensity and time of the upcoming flu season, it’s a good time to start thinking about vaccination.

Who should be vaccinated and when?

In Australia, flu vaccines They are available For all over six months. Flip vaccines do not work well in adolescent infants, but they can be protected If their mothers are immunized during pregnancy.

The national vaccination program provides Free vaccines In the case of people with a higher risk, including specific age groups (adults over 65 years of age and children aged six to five months), people with chronic diseases, pregnant women and Aborigines and Torres Strait Islander.

For hearty adults and children from outside these groups, flu vaccine costs around USD 20-30. Vaccines are widely available in GPS and pharmacies and through the workplace programs.

Flip vaccines reduce the risk GP presentation with flu by about 30-60% and hospitalization with flu by about 50-70%.

There is some evidence of protection against flu vaccines Weaken for several months. Perfect, everyone was vaccinated within a few months from the peak of the flu season. But in fact, we can’t easily predict when it will happen, and because the pandemic with air conditioning the flu seasons arrived at the beginning of the year. So some time in the next month is a good time to vaccinate.

In general, flu vaccines can be given at the same time as most other vaccines, including Covid vaccines, but contact the vaccination provider if it is suitable for you.

Influenza vaccines are considered sheltered. While some people can get a sore arm or fever, these symptoms are usually gentle and low. Solemn side effects, such as Guillain-Barré, are sporadic and are believed to be less common than after influenza infection.

Why do we need flu vaccine every year?

Flu is a complex virus to produce vaccines, because the virus often changes, and vaccines generally provide protection against a restricted range of strains. Some studies suggest mutations in the influenza virus 20 times more common Than in the case of SARS-COV-2 virus that causes Covid.

This means that experts every year I have to predict Probable varieties circulating next season, so vaccines can be produced as a preparation.

The World Health Organization coordinates two meetings Every year – in February to decide on vaccine strains for the next season of the Northern Hemisphere and around September in the southern hemisphere.

Although all current influenza vaccines contain strains made of four flu subtypes (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B Victoria and B Yamagata), it seems that one of the strains disappeared during the pandemic. So next year, vaccines will probably fall from the B Yamagata variety.

Seasonal flu vaccines do not provide protection against bird flu strains (bird flu), but vaccination is still recommended for people who can be threatened with bird flu, such as poultry employees. This is to reduce the risk that the up-to-date virus can be due to the combination of both seasonal strains and bird flu.

Which vaccines are available?

There are many vaccines that you can be offered when booking or the appearance of flu vaccine.

Up-to-date types of vaccines have been developed over the past few years. Some of them an attempt to improve The body’s immune response to vaccines. For example, Fluad Quad It contains an adiuwant called MF59, an additional substance designed to attract immune cells to the vaccination.

Other vaccines such as FLUZON High doseEmploy a larger dose of vaccine strains to improve the immune response. These vaccines are recommended for the elderly, because immune answers tend to fall with age.

Some vaccines operate alternative production methods to improve the matching strains of vaccines and circulating varieties. Standard flu vaccines are produced using influenza viruses grown in chicken eggs. One weakening of this method is that viral mutations can occur during the production process known as “egg adaptation”. In some seasons in 2014-2019 this was shown reduce flu vaccines.

Avoid this problem, cell -based vaccines such as Flcelvax quadEmploy strains against flu vaccines bred in mammalians, not eggs.

The key results are:

1. Older people are recommended to receive a reinforced vaccine (Fluad Quad for> 65 years or high dose flushed for> 60 years), with Fluad Quad provided free of charge under the National vaccination program

2. Other people are recommended to receive a standard vaccine (based on eggs or cells), with vaccines delivered free of charge for high -risk groups and children from six months to five years.

Looking to the future

Currently, several up-to-date flu vaccines are being developed. Recombinant vaccines such as FlublokEmploy insect cells to create a specific virus component.

Covid MRNA vaccines successfully, There is interest Using a similar flu process. Theoretically, this can shorten the time to develop vaccines, both for seasonal flu and pandemic flu.

There is also interest Combined vaccines – For example, a single shot can provide protection against both Covid and flu.

“Holy Grail” Flu vaccines may ensure Prolonged protection against many different strains. Although we are not yet, you are at a lower risk of flu and its complications if you get flu.