After free flu vaccines were funded for children under 12 in 2022, funding in New Zealand has now been cut back meaning only high-risk children aged 6 months to under 4 years are eligible for free vaccines.
In Australia, all children aged 6 months to under 5 years are eligible for free influenza vaccination. Annual flu vaccination is recommended for all Australians aged over 6 months.
Read about the impact of New Zealand’s funded influenza vaccine program in The Conversation: Flu vaccines are no longer free for all under-12s in NZ.