19/06/2026
More WA families are choosing to protect their children against flu this year — and many are opting for the needle-free FluMist vaccine.
According to figures shared by WA Minister for Preventative Health Sabine Winton MLA in The West Australian today, more than 47,000 children have received a flu vaccine so far in 2026, with 75% choosing FluMist. Childhood flu vaccination rates are also tracking higher than this time last year.
Professor Chris Blyth, Centre Head of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases at The Kids, says the figures are encouraging.
"I am really encouraged that there is stronger uptake this year, compared with last year, and that access to FluMist has helped improve this," Professor Blyth said.
“The positive feedback we are getting from parents, and the observation that three-quarters of parents are choosing needle-free technology, highlights that parents in WA greatly appreciate access to FluMist and the choice.”
Despite a milder start to the flu season this year, Professor Blyth says vaccination remains critically important, with influenza a common cause of hospitalisation and capable of causing serious illness in children.
"Flu is unpredictable. It is not a trivial disease, causing hundreds of West Australian children to be hospitalised each year. It is not too late to be vaccinated."
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Families have embraced WA’s new needle-free flu vaccine program, with 80 per cent of immunised children opting for the nasal spray so far this winter.
