Sunita Somvanshi
Australia Has Updated COVID Vaccines — Just Not the Newest One From Overseas
There is a version of this story circulating online that says Australia has no new COVID vaccine. That is not quite right — and the difference matters.
Australia does have updated COVID-19 vaccines. What it does not yet have is the newest formulation called XFG, which the United States approved for the 2026–27 season. Pfizer’s XFG-adapted shot is now available in the US, but Australia’s registered version from Pfizer targets an earlier variant called LP.8.1. Moderna’s LP.8.1 version was approved here by the Therapeutic Goods Administration on June 22, 2026.
So what is XFG, and does it matter?
SARS-CoV-2 keeps changing. Every time the virus mutates its surface proteins, some of the immunity from older vaccines becomes less effective at blocking infection. Updating the vaccine recipe — called the antigen composition — is how health authorities try to keep protection strong. XFG is a newer variant of the virus, and Pfizer’s US-approved shot is designed to match it more closely.
But here is the thing the World Health Organization said in May 2026: their recommendation for this period is actually LP.8.1. They said XFG or NB.1.8.1 formulations are acceptable alternatives if they offer broad protection — but LP.8.1 is the recommended target. Critically, WHO explicitly said people should not wait for a newer vaccine to arrive before getting vaccinated.
Australian surveillance data backs this up. The Australian Centre for Disease Control recorded 99 virus sequences between June 1 and June 14, 2026. NB.1.8.1 made up 56 of them, BA.3.2 accounted for 23, and XFG appeared in 16. All three variants are circulating here. The ACDC noted that the numbers are still relatively small for firm conclusions.
WHO’s own review of the evidence found that LP.8.1 vaccination produced increased neutralising antibodies against NB.1.8.1 and XFG. Against BA.3.2, WHO’s data showed lower neutralising responses — only modest increases compared with other JN.1-descendant variants, which reflects BA.3.2 being antigenically more distant from the LP.8.1 vaccine strain.
NSW Families Can’t Find the Free Nasal Flu Vaccine — But That Doesn’t Mean No Flu Vaccine
A separate problem has emerged for families in the Illawarra region of NSW, where flu cases are rising. Many parents trying to book their children in for the free FluMist nasal spray vaccine are finding it is not available.
FluMist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine — meaning it contains weakened live virus rather than killed virus. It goes up the nose, not into the arm. Australia registered it for the first time in 2026, for people aged 2 to 17 as an alternative to the traditional flu shot. NSW funded it as part of the 2026 flu program, initially for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years, then expanding access to the full 2–17 age group from late May 2026 for a limited time.
The important thing to understand is that running out of the centrally distributed free FluMist supply does not mean running out of flu vaccines. The nasal spray may still be available at some GPs and Aboriginal Medical Services for those who check directly, but the state-distributed supply has run low. NSW Health confirms the injectable influenza vaccine is still available and recommended for everyone aged six months and older. Children aged six months to under five years can still get a free flu injection.
Australia’s 2026 flu vaccines are trivalent — they cover two influenza A strains and one influenza B lineage. The B/Yamagata lineage is not included because it appears to be extinct.
If a provider says they have no FluMist, the practical step is to ask about the injectable option and whether the child qualifies for it free of charge.
Scientists Are Testing a New Kind of Coronavirus Vaccine That Goes Up the Nose
On a completely separate front, researchers published a study on July 22, 2026 in the journal hLife that is worth knowing about — with clear caveats about what it actually shows.
The study tested a vaccine approach using tiny gold nanoparticles — specifically 5 nanometre and 15 nanometre particles — delivered into the nose. The idea is to build immunity right at the respiratory surface, where viruses first enter the body. Current vaccines go into the muscle and build immunity in the blood, which is useful, but does not always stop a virus from getting into the nose and throat in the first place.
The researchers loaded these nanoparticles with receptor-binding domains from six different coronaviruses — a mix they called a mosaic formulation. They also used an immune-boosting compound called cGAMP, which activates a cellular alarm system called STING. The tests were done in BALB/c mice, with three to four animals per group.
Results showed that the vaccinated mice produced neutralising antibodies not just against SARS-CoV-2 variants, but also against SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and related MERS-like viruses.
This is interesting early science. It builds on a 2023 study that also tested intranasal mosaic nanoparticle vaccines in mice and monkeys. But it is not a human vaccine. No safety or dosing tests in people have been published. The correct description is a preclinical candidate — something that works in mice and may eventually move into human trials.
Summary: Australia has LP.8.1 COVID vaccines registered and available. WHO says LP.8.1 is the right choice and vaccination should not be delayed waiting for newer XFG formulations. The free FluMist nasal spray supply is running low in NSW, but the injectable flu vaccine remains available and free for young children. A separate mouse study has shown early promise for a gold nanoparticle nasal vaccine targeting multiple coronaviruses, but it has not been tested in humans.
