Swine Flu vaccination program

Page contents: For higher risk groups in the community | For everyone else | For immunisation providers

Australia’s Swine flu vaccination program focuses on protecting those who are most at risk of exposure to the swine flu virus, such as health care workers, and those who are more vulnerable to severe health complications from swine flu.

This is why the most vulnerable people in our community are encouraged to get the swine flu vaccine first. This includes:

• pregnant women
• people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart and lung disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, neurological disease and people with suppressed immune systems
• people with moderate to severe obesity (BMI of 35+)
• health care workers
• Indigenous people
• parents and guardians of infants under 6 months old

For more information about the Swine flu vaccine program call 180 2007 or visit the Health Emergency website. The site contains a number of resources, including:

• questions and answers about the Swine Flu vaccine
• public information brochure about getting the Swine Flu vaccine.

For higher risk groups in the community

If you belong to one of the higher risk groups listed above, you are encouraged to contact your doctor or immunisation provider to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

For everyone else

Anyone else who wishes to protect themselves from swine flu can get the vaccine for free,* including healthy people. Contact your doctor or immunisation provider to make an appointment.

*Your provider may charge you a service fee.

For immunisation providers

If you are an immunisation provider or GP and need more information about your vaccine pre-allocation, or to order further vaccine stock, visit the Department of Health Immunisation website.

Latex allergy and syringe for use with swine flu vaccine (132kb, pdf)

For the latest Chief Medical Officer updates relating to latex allergies and the H1N1 pandemic vaccine visit the Health Emergency website.

Guideline for the administration of pandemic (H1N1) influenza vaccine from multi-dose vials (MDV) (802kb, pdf)

Reporting of Medical Device Faults

The syringes, needles, alcohol swabs, sticking plaster and alcohol hand rub in the VacPacs are considered medical devices by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

Any problems with medical devices should be reported to the regulator. The easiest way to report is by completing the 'Reporting Form for use by Medical Device Users' on the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website.

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