Meet people where they already are—at the footy, at their GP, anywhere.
After a flu season that left thousands of Western Australians hospitalised in 2025, the state government is meeting people where they already gather — at football stadiums, pharmacies, and GP clinics — to offer free vaccinations before winter deepens again. The expansion reflects a broader reckoning with preventable suffering: that immunisation rates rise not through mandate, but through proximity and ease. Western Australia is, in effect, asking its citizens to make a small, convenient choice in the hope of averting a large, collective cost.
- Last year's flu season was one of WA's worst on record, sending thousands to hospital across every age group and forcing a significant rethink of how the state delivers preventative care.
- Pop-up vaccination clinics at Optus Stadium on May 2, 7, and 17 mark the first time a major WA venue has been used this way — fans can get a free flu shot between quarters without leaving the ground.
- The program now includes needle-free FluMist for children aged two to eleven, and expanded RSV vaccines for infants and older adults, broadening protection beyond influenza alone.
- The government has set public, trackable targets — 30% of children, 65% of over-65s, and 40% of all eligible residents vaccinated by winter's end — with weekly progress updates to hold itself accountable.
- Vaccines are free, but some providers may charge a consultation fee; the state is betting that convenience, not cost, is the real barrier to higher uptake.
Western Australia is bringing flu vaccinations to Optus Stadium this May, with St John WA staffing pop-up clinics on game days — May 2, 7, and 17 — so football fans can get their free shot without leaving the ground. It's the first time the stadium has hosted such clinics, and it signals how seriously the state is taking immunisation after 2025's devastating flu season overwhelmed hospitals across the region.
That season was among the worst on record, with thousands of patients of all ages treated for influenza. In response, the government has launched a significantly expanded winter immunisation program, complete with public targets: 30 percent of children under 12, 65 percent of adults over 65, and 40 percent of all eligible Western Australians vaccinated before winter's end. Weekly progress updates will track whether those goals are being met.
The stadium clinics are one part of a much wider effort. A $6.6 million investment funds FluMist, a needle-free vaccine option for children aged two to eleven — a meaningful alternative for young kids who fear injections. The program also extends RSV vaccination to infants and, for the first time, to older adults and those most vulnerable to severe respiratory illness, reflecting a shift toward protecting against a broader range of winter threats.
Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton has framed the expansion around accessibility — meeting people in the spaces they already occupy. Whether someone gets vaccinated at their GP, a local pharmacy, or during a footy match, the state's message is consistent: the vaccine is free, it works, and last year's hospitalisation toll is a reminder of what's at stake when too few people take it up.
Western Australia is making it easier to get a flu shot this May, bringing vaccination clinics directly to Optus Stadium on game days. St John WA will staff pop-up stations on May 2, 7, and 17, allowing football fans to roll up their sleeves between quarters and get their free jab without leaving the ground. It's the first time the stadium has hosted vaccination clinics, part of a state government push to lift immunization rates after last year's flu season overwhelmed hospitals across the region.
The 2025 flu season was brutal. Hospitals treated thousands of patients of all ages, making it one of the worst years on record for influenza in the state. That toll prompted the government to expand its winter immunisation program significantly, launching this week with specific, public targets: vaccinating 30 percent of children under 12, 65 percent of adults over 65, and 40 percent of all eligible Western Australians. The government will publish weekly progress updates throughout winter, holding itself accountable to those numbers.
The stadium clinics are just one piece of a much broader expansion. The program includes $6.6 million dedicated to FluMist, a needle-free vaccine option for children aged two to 11—a choice that may appeal to younger kids who fear needles. Beyond the standard flu shot, the state is also rolling out an expanded RSV immunisation program that now covers infants and, for the first time, older adults and people at highest risk of severe respiratory illness. These additions reflect a shift toward preventing not just influenza but a wider range of respiratory threats.
Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton framed the expansion as meeting people in the spaces they already inhabit. The vaccine remains free, though individual providers—whether GPs, pharmacies, or the stadium clinics—may charge a consultation or service fee. The government is banking on convenience and accessibility to drive uptake. Whether someone gets their shot at their regular doctor's office, a local pharmacy, or while watching the footy, the message is the same: the influenza vaccine is safe and effective, and the state wants Western Australians protected before winter deepens.
For those interested, more information is available at access.health.wa.gov.au/immunisation. The stadium clinics offer a novel entry point—a chance to combine a day at the footy with a health decision that, last year, made the difference between staying well and spending days in a hospital bed.
Notable Quotes
Whether that's at their GP, local pharmacy or even at the footy—we know the influenza vaccine is safe and effective.— Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why bring vaccination clinics to a football stadium? Seems like an odd place for health care.
Because that's where thousands of people already are, sitting together for hours. You don't have to convince them to show up—they're already there. You just remove the friction.
But last year's flu season was bad enough that the government is now setting public targets and publishing weekly progress. That sounds like they're worried.
They should be. Hospitals were full. All age groups got hit. When a health system gets that stressed, it's a signal that voluntary uptake isn't enough. You have to go find people.
The program includes FluMist for kids and a new RSV vaccine for older adults. That's a pretty significant expansion beyond just flu shots.
It is. RSV kills older people and can be severe in infants. For years, there was no vaccine for it. Now there is, and the state is saying: we're not just reacting to last year's flu—we're trying to prevent the next respiratory crisis before it starts.
Do you think people will actually get vaccinated at the footy, or is that more symbolic?
Both, probably. Some will. Others will see the clinic and think about it later. But the real work happens at the GP and pharmacy. The stadium is just the visible part—the signal that the government is serious about this.