The $3.5 million influenza vaccination program follows last year’s “severe” flu season.

“Last year our community, like many in NSW, was hit hard by the flu season,” Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald MLC said.

“So [this] announcement means more than 400,000 children across the state are eligible to receive better protection not only for them, but also for their families and the wider community”.

Besides the elderly young children are considered most at risk. Children must be five and under for this vaccination and no younger than six months.

“We all know how horrendous the flu can be and this is especially hard on the smallest members of our families,” Mr MacDonald said.

“Little kids are also most likely to spread the flu so a free flu jab will not only keep them safe, but will protect others they come into contact with.”

Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said NSW childhood vaccination rates had increased by 6.3 per cent since 2010, to 93.9 per cent in 2017.

“We already have the some of the best childhood vaccination rates in the country and this free flu jab will go even further to protect our little ones from potentially deadly flu infections,” Mr Hazzard said.

Children who have never had a flu vaccination will need two doses, one month apart. The vaccine will cover four strains of influenza virus, two A strains and two B strains, likely to be circulating this winter.

Last year there were more than 12,000 confirmed cases of influenza in children under five, with many more likely to not to have been tested.

For more information go to: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/kids-flu-shot.aspx