2025 Queensland Free Flu Vaccination Program

On 4 January 2025, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland welcomed the Queensland Government’s decision to extend the Queensland Free Flu Vaccination Program (the Program) for a fourth consecutive year.

Starting 1 March 2025, the Program fully covers the cost of flu vaccinations for all Queenslanders aged six months and older.

The initiative aims to increase flu vaccination rates, particularly among those who are not eligible for a free vaccine under the Commonwealth’s National Immunisation Program (NIP).

Under the NIP, free flu vaccinations are only available to at-risk groups, including:

  • children aged 6 months to 5 years;
  • pregnant women;
  • people 65 years and older;
  • First Nations people; and
  • individuals with certain medical conditions.

With flu vaccination rates declining in recent years, removing cost as a barrier is crucial to ensuring widespread protection for Queenslanders.

Program timeline

The Program runs from 1 March to 30 September 2025.

Queenslanders can receive their free flu vaccine at participating community pharmacies as soon as the 2025 flu vaccine stock becomes available, expected by mid-March 2025.

Pharmacies can claim reimbursement for vaccinations administered during this period until 31 October 2025.

How community pharmacies can participate

All community pharmacies that provide immunisation services are eligible to participate with no registration required. However, pharmacies must be registered as a Vaccination Service Provider (VSP) with the Queensland Health Immunisation Program (QHIP) to order and administer National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccines.

Queensland Health guidelines:

NIP-eligible patients should receive an NIP-funded vaccine whenever possible.

Queensland Health may not reimburse privately purchased flu vaccines given to NIP-eligible patients.

For more information on becoming a VSP, email QHIP-ADMIN@health.qld.gov.au or visit the Queensland Health website.

How to claim reimbursements for participation in the free flu vaccination program

Pharmacies that use MedAdvisor:

Participating pharmacies are able to claim for reimbursement directly through MedAdvisor for vaccinations given throughout the Program.

For comprehensive guidance on how to claim reimbursement and to review payment schedules when claiming through MedAdvisor, please refer to the below resources:

Pharmacies that do not use MedAdvisor:

Pharmacies that do not use MedAdvisor will be able to lodge manual claiming through Queensland Health and more information on the process will be available on their website.

Patients eligible for NIP-funded influenza vaccines:

From January 2024, community pharmacy VSPs have been able to claim a service fee through the Pharmacy Programs Administrator for administering vaccinations to NIP-eligible people aged 5 years and over when given in the community pharmacy, at a residential aged care home, or in a disability home.

Payments for NIP-funded vaccines will be administered by the Pharmacy Programs Administrator.

For patients who are eligible for a NIP-funded vaccine but for whom the pharmacy cannot claim an administration fee (for example children under the age of 5) pharmacies should administer NIP vaccination stock and claim the administration fee of $19.32 (excl. GST) from Queensland Health.

Patients not eligible for NIP-funded influenza vaccines:

Pharmacies will be paid $25.00 (excl. GST) by Queensland Health for the administration of privately purchased influenza vaccines to people ineligible for a NIP-funded vaccine. This is for patients who would otherwise have to pay for a privately purchased vaccination as they are not eligible to receive a funded vaccine through the NIP.

Pharmacies only dispensing pre-purchased stock

For community pharmacies that will only dispense vaccination stock for another health practitioner to administer, Queensland Health will pay $14.00 (excl. GST) for each vaccine.

How to promote the Program

The Queensland Guild is developing a library of promotional materials, including social media graphics, posters, and flyers, to help pharmacies promote the 2025 Free Flu Vaccination Program.

Digital resources are now available for download.

Printed toolkits are available free for Guild members. You may request one via the button below.

For more information, please contact:
The Business Support Team

Phone

07 3831 3788

Website
www.guild.org.au
Page last updated on: 04 March 2025