Flu shot questions

Can I have the flu shot if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?

Yes. The flu shot is recommended in each pregnancy, at any stage, and while breastfeeding, and more so in pregnancy because flu carries a higher risk for you then. - At a workplace clinic, nothing changes for you. Ask the nurse anything you're unsure about. - With a voucher in Australia, pregnancy makes you eligible for a government-funded shot under the National Immunisation Program at your GP or pharmacy. Use that instead: the voucher doesn't apply. - In New Zealand, Pharmac funds the flu vaccine for pregnant people. The Australian Immunisation Handbook says all inactivated flu vaccines can safely be given to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026. Pharmac, 2026 flu season, last updated 04/09/2026.

Can the flu shot give me the flu?

No. The Australian Immunisation Handbook says influenza vaccines do not cause influenza. - A sore injection site is common (more than 10% of people). Fever or muscle aches (1 to 10%) can last 1 to 2 days. These can feel like flu, but they are your body responding to the shot. - Still unwell after 2 days, or getting worse? See your GP or pharmacist. - Seriously unwell after your shot? Call 000 (111 in New Zealand). Read the full answer Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026: injection site reactions, 1 to 10%, 1 to 2 days, may mimic influenza infection.

Do I need a flu shot every year?

Yes. The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends a flu shot every year for everyone aged 6 months and over. - Flu viruses change, so the vaccine is reviewed every year. Last year's shot may not match this year's strains, and its protection fades. - Protection can begin to wane after 3 to 4 months. - Most adults need one dose a year. Cost? See Can I get a free flu shot? Read the full answer Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026: reviewed every year, wane after 3 to 4 months, one dose a year.

Can I have the flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time?

Yes. The Australian Immunisation Handbook says the flu vaccine can be given at the same time as, or separate to, other vaccines, including dTpa, RSV, zoster, pneumococcal and COVID-19 vaccines. There is no waiting period. - Your workplace clinic or flu voucher covers the flu shot only. If you are due a COVID-19 vaccine, ask your GP or pharmacist whether they can give both at one visit. - When to have a COVID-19 vaccine follows the current ATAGI advice, not the flu season. - They are different viruses, so each vaccine protects against only its own. Read the full answer Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026.

I'm 65 or over: which flu shot should I have?

We recommend an enhanced flu vaccine. The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends it for adults 65 and over in preference to the standard vaccine (it calls these adjuvanted or high-dose vaccines). - Australia: the adjuvanted vaccine is government-funded under the National Immunisation Program at your GP or pharmacy (the high-dose vaccine is not). Because you're eligible, your flu voucher doesn't apply: book the funded vaccine instead. - If your workplace runs an onsite flu clinic and you'd rather not go to a GP or pharmacy, you can have the standard adult flu vaccine there at no cost to you. It protects you less than the enhanced vaccine, but it is better than no vaccine. - New Zealand: Pharmac funds a flu vaccine for everyone 65 and over. It is a standard vaccine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which one you will get. Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026: 65 and over. Pharmac, 2026 flu season, last updated 04/09/2026.

Can I get a free flu shot?

Yes, if your workplace runs a flu program: the standard flu shot at your workplace clinic, or with your flu voucher, costs you nothing. Some people can also get a government-funded flu shot. - Australia: the National Immunisation Program (NIP) funds it for adults 65 and over, pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people with certain medical conditions. Check who is eligible. If you are, use that instead: your voucher doesn't apply. Your GP or pharmacy may charge a consultation fee. Some states, such as Queensland and Western Australia, have run their own funded programs in past seasons. While one covers you, your voucher doesn't apply. - New Zealand: Pharmac funds it for everyone 65 and over, and for some higher-risk people under 65. 65 or over? See I'm 65 or over: which flu shot should I have? Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026: NIP-funded groups. health.gov.au influenza vaccine page, last updated 27/03/2026. Pharmac, 2026 flu season, last updated 04/09/2026.

What's in this year's flu vaccine?

In Australia, the flu vaccine has three flu virus strains: two influenza A and one influenza B. The Australian Immunisation Handbook says all flu vaccines are trivalent: they contain 3 strains. - The World Health Organization recommends the strains each year, and the Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee then sets the strains for Australian vaccines. Last year's shot may not match this year's strains. - In New Zealand, the vaccine can differ. Ask the nurse or pharmacist which vaccine you are getting. - The flu shot doesn't contain live virus and can't give you the flu. See Can the flu shot give me the flu? - For the full ingredient list, ask the nurse or pharmacist for the product's Consumer Medicine Information. Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026: World Health Organization recommends the strains.

Flu shot myths: what's true and what isn't

Four common flu shot myths, and what the Australian Immunisation Handbook says: - "The shot gives you the flu." No: flu vaccines don't cause influenza. See Can the flu shot give me the flu? - "Once is enough." No. See Do I need a flu shot every year? - "I can't have it while pregnant." You can. See Can I have the flu shot if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding? - "It's too late." It never is, because influenza can circulate all year. Late in the season, you can still vaccinate. Read the full answer Still stuck? Email flu@corporatecare.com.au. Sources: Australian Immunisation Handbook, last updated 30/09/2026: do not cause influenza, recommended every year, pregnancy and breastfeeding, never too late to vaccinate.