Key Points
- The Flucelvax Quad has been listed on the National Immunisation Program for the first time.
- The vaccine is cell-based, meaning it's grown in mammal cells, not eggs.
- That means it's more in line with flu strains around the world.
A new cell-based influenza vaccine has been launched in Australia, as this year's flu season gets underway.
Experts say the new formula is designed to more closely match the flu strains that are circulating across the world.
Flucelvax Quad is a cell-based vaccine which has been listed on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for the first time, though it has been available privately since 2021.
What is the FluCelVax?
Infectious diseases expert Dr Robert Booy says the new formula differs from those previously available.
"This vaccine is cell-based. That means it's grown in cells that are mammalian and not grown in eggs where you can get mutation.
"The problem with mutation is the flu virus can become less well matched that what was recommended to go in the vaccine by the World Health Organization".
Booy says this new cell-based vaccine will be available for everyone, but vulnerable patients who could be more severely impacted by influenza will have free access.
Who is eligible for a flu shot?
There are three important groups who can get the Flucelvax QUAD vaccine under the National Immunisation Program: pregnant women, anyone aged between five and 64 who is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, or people between the ages of five and 64 with eligible co-existing medical problems.
Others can access it as a private prescription through their GP or pharmacist.
The Codral Cold and Flu Forecast, released at the start of April, indicates this year will be one of the worst cold and flu seasons Australia has had.
The forecast, made in partnership with health consulting firm IQVIA, analyses cold and flu reports, medicine sales data, weather forecasts and vaccine rates.
Authorities have already started shipping vaccines to doctors and clinics across the country.
But there's still concern that vaccination levels aren't where they should be.
Figures suggest that in 2023, only about 25 per cent of the population aged five to 64 years were vaccinated against influenza.
It was an intense influenza season, with close to 300,000 cases, and at least 370 flu-related deaths across Australia.
Medibank chief medical officer Chris Robinson says influenza takes its toll on people and the healthcare system.
And he has told Channel Nine that, while influenza may peak in winter, the virus itself is already here.
"In humans, there's really three types of flu that we would worry about: A, B, and C. However, what we see of primary concern for humans is A and B. At the moment, we're seeing a circulating at about 60 per cent, whilst B is about 40 per cent of infections."
