Territorians are urged to get vaccinated against influenza (flu) following increased cases in urban and rural Darwin, Katherine and East Arnhem.
Protecting yourself against the flu is especially important during the dry season with increased visitors to the Northern Territory (NT) and large-scale community events.
Influenza is spread from person to person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced during coughing or sneezing.
Influenza often has an abrupt onset, and symptoms include tiredness, fever, headache, chills, sore throat, loss of appetite, cough, runny nose and sneezing.
People can reduce the risk of passing influenza by staying home if they are unwell, hand washing, physical distancing and wearing a mask.
Since the beginning of 2026, there have been 775 confirmed cases of the flu, 218 hospitalisations and 2 deaths reported in the NT.
During the same time in 2025, there were 3052 reported cases of the flu, 785 hospitalisations and 11 deaths.
As the flu season will vary each year and the NT is experiencing a later start of the flu this year, now is the time to get your 2026 flu vaccine.
Territorians can access the flu vaccination from the GP, health clinic and participating pharmacies.
People who are a greater risk of complication from the flu and are eligible for a free vaccination include:
All children aged 6 months to under 5 yearsAll adults aged 65 years and overPregnant women at any stage of pregnancyAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and overPeople aged 6 months and over with certain medical conditions that increase the risk of severe flu.
