2025 vaccination guidelines for GPs: influenza, RSV and COVID-19

11 April 2025

This article outlines the 2025 flu RSV and COVID vaccination guidelines for GPs and Aboriginal Medical Service. It covers vaccine eligibility, ordering, timing and co-administration with other vaccines. Practices are encouraged to review the latest toolkits, prioritise high-risk groups, and ensure all vaccinations are reported to the Australian Immunisation Register.

Influenza

NSW Health has provided the following information about the seasonal flu vaccination for general practices and Aboriginal Medical Services.

Key messages

deliveries of influenza vaccine will begin from April 2025
free influenza vaccines will be available to eligible people under the National Immunisation Program (NIP)
immunisation providers should prioritise children six months to under five years, Aboriginal people, pregnant women, people with an increased risk of complications from influenza and people aged 65 years and over. It recommends you send reminders to your patients and consider holding influenza vaccination clinics to support timely vaccination of at-risk individuals
ensure your patients are up-to-date with all vaccinations
prepare your practice by reviewing the Influenza Vaccination Provider Toolkit 2025

NSW Health Influenza Vaccination Provider Toolkit 2025
NSW Health letter to GPs and AMSs re influenza vaccine 2025

Eligibility and timing of vaccination

influenza vaccination is recommended for all people aged six months and over from mid-April to provide protection before the peak season takes place (June to September)
people at higher risk of serious influenza complications are eligible for free influenza vaccination under the NIP, including all children six months to under five years, Aboriginal people, pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, people aged 65 years and over and people with chronic medical conditions attending your practice
more information about key at-risk groups and timing of vaccination is available in the ATAGI 2025 Statement on the Administration of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines

ATAGI 2025 Statement on the Administration of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines

Co-administration with other vaccines

influenza vaccines can be co-administered with most other vaccines, including Tpa, RSV, pneumococcal and COVID-19 vaccines. Refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook for more information
as per the Australian Immunisation Handbook, Fluad Quad and Shingrix administration should be separated by a few days

Australian Immunisation Handbook
NCIRS guide to co-administration of vaccines for adults

Preparing your practice

read the NSW Health 2025 Influenza Vaccination Provider Toolkit
ensure your practice software can report vaccinations to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Reporting of all vaccinations is mandatory. Further information is available at PRODA (Provider Digital Access)
if not already registered, Aboriginal Medical Services will also need to complete the Australian Immunisation Register Application to Register as a Vaccination Provider
ensure your practice is registered for online vaccine ordering with the NSW Vaccine Centre. If you have not already registered for online ordering, find information on how to register
visit NSW Health’s Get prepared for 2025 influenza vaccination webpage for more information

NSW Health 2025 Influenza Vaccination Provider Toolkit

PRODA (Provider Digital Access)

Australian Immunisation Register Application

NSW State Vaccine Centre

NSW Health – Register for online ordering

NSW Health – Get prepared for 2025 influenza vaccination

Influenza vaccine information

the Australian Government provides a free seasonal influenza vaccine to those most at risk of complications from influenza. There are no new eligibility cohorts for NIP influenza vaccines in 2025 
find more information about influenza vaccines available under the NIP and other influenza vaccine information for the 2025 influenza season on the NSW Health website
the NIP has experienced a short delay in the supply of Vaxigrip Tetra. FluQuadri will be supplied as an alternative influenza vaccine for children six months to under five years at the beginning of the 2025 Influenza Vaccination Program until the supply of Vaxigrip Tetra becomes available

NSW Health – Influenza vaccine information

Ordering/pre-allocation of influenza vaccine

your first order will be pre-allocated to ensure equitable and timely vaccine distribution to all providers in NSW
your influenza pre-allocation order needed to be reviewed and confirmed by Friday, 7 March to ensure its delivery
subsequent orders can be made online once you have received your initial order, however subsequent orders will only be delivered once all pre-allocated influenza vaccine orders have been distributed. Only order enough vaccines required for use in a maximum four-week period
there may be limits placed on subsequent orders to ensure equitable vaccine distribution to all providers in NSW.
please only schedule influenza vaccination clinics once vaccine supplies are received

NSW Health – find out more information about influenza vaccine supply and ordering

Vaccine deliveries

influenza vaccine deliveries will commence when the vaccines become available, and orders will be dispatched to practices which have reviewed and confirmed their first order pre-allocation.
due to the volume of orders at the beginning of the season, it takes about four weeks for the NSW Vaccine Centre to deliver all pre-allocated influenza vaccine orders
vaccines MUST be stored between +2°C to +8°C during storage and transport and stored in their original packaging at all times (to protect them from temperature fluctuations and UV light) in accordance with the National Vaccine Storage Guidelines ‘Strive for 5’

DoHAC – National Vaccine Storage Guidelines ‘Strive for 5’

Eligibility for the influenza vaccine

Find more information on patients to target for funded vaccines, frequently asked questions and the optimum time for vaccination.

NSW Health – Eligibility for the influenza vaccine

Frequently asked questions about influenza vaccination for health professionals

All vaccinations should be reported to the AIR.

All adverse events after vaccination should be reported to the South Western Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055

Localised influenza information for vaccination providers

HealthPathways South Western Sydney

NSW Health

2025 seasonal influenza vaccination information for immunisation providers

Resources for influenza vaccination providers

Phone your local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055.

Other respiratory illnesses

NSW Health – NSW respiratory surveillance – COVID-19 and influenza

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory infections which can affect the nose, throat and breathing passages including the lungs. Those most at risk of severe illness include babies and young children, and older adults, especially those with chronic heart or lung disease or weakened immune systems.

Most RSV infections in NSW happen in late autumn and winter.

The new NSW RSV Prevention Program aims to protect newborn and at-risk infants against RSV and reduce RSV-associated infections and hospitalisations through the transfer of maternal antibodies to the fetus during pregnancy, or provision of passive immunisation to infants not protected by maternal vaccination and eligible at-risk infants.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends RSV vaccination for specific groups including:

women at 28 to 36 weeks pregnancy
infants and children under two years of age
- whose mothers were not vaccinated at least two weeks before delivery, or
- who are at increased risk of severe disease, or
- who have medical conditions or circumstances which increase their risk of RSV disease
First Nations people aged 60 years and over
people aged 60 years and over with medical conditions that increase their risk of severe RSV disease
people aged 75 years and over.

Australian Immunisation Handbook recommendations for specific groups

Australian Immunisation Handbook – Conditions associated with increased risk of severe RSV disease in adults

States and territories provide the RSV immunisation product Beyfortus (nirsevimab) for free to eligible infants and children. Currently, there are no RSV vaccines funded through the National Immunisation Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, people with medical risk conditions or older people.

RSV resources for health professionals

RSV vaccine available for pregnant women

NSW Health – NSW RSV Prevention Program – Information for health professionals

DoHAC – Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine

Resources for patients

NSW Health – Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) factsheet

DoHAC – Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine consumer fact sheet

DoHAC – Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine – Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has provided the following advice on COVID-19 vaccine administration in 2025.

Key points for 2025:

vaccination remains an important measure to protect those at risk of severe disease from COVID-19
all adults are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine every 12 months
adults aged 75 years and over, including aged care residents, have the highest risk of severe COVID-19 including death, and are recommended to receive COVID-19 vaccines every six months
the current COVID-19 vaccines available for use are Comirnaty JN.1 and Omicron XBB.1.5-containing vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines can be co-administered with any other vaccine for people aged five years and over
all vaccinations must be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)

Read the full advice: ATAGI statement on the administration of COVID-19 vaccines in 2025

Other resources

The Australian Immunisation Handbook

NCIRS – COVID-19 vaccines: Frequently asked questions

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