As we look ahead to the 2026 flu season, there is an important shift underway in Australia’s seasonal influenza vaccination strategy. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and other health authorities have signalled a transition from quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIV) to trivalent influenza vaccines (TIV). This transition follows the northern hemisphere implementing this change as of the 2024-2025 season.

The quadrivalent vaccines currently protect against four strains of influenza: two A subtypes (H1N1 and H3N2) and two B lineages (Victoria and Yamagata). However, the B/Yamagata lineage has not been detected in circulation globally since March 2020.

Because of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Australia’s Influenza Vaccine Committee (AIVC) have deemed that continuing to include the B/Yamagata antigen is no longer necessary. As a result, vaccines that include only one B lineage (i.e. TIVs) are now being recommended and will be the norm moving forward into 2026.

The 2026 Queensland Free Flu Vaccination Program will commence from 1 March 2026 as vaccine stock becomes available and concludes on 30 September 2026. The Program is available to all Queensland residents, including those without a Medicare card. There is no change for people eligible to receive a free influenza vaccine under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and they will continue to receive a NIP-funded vaccine as usual.

For more information, visit the Queensland Health website: CLICK HERE