Pia Andrews told her daughter Abigail, aged nine and three-quarters, that being vaccinated wouldn't hurt.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Abigail said.

The young Aranda resident said the vaccine was painful but important.

"I don't really like them, but they can be useful sometimes," she said.

Abigail would much prefer her annual flu vaccine to be administered through a nasal spray, which could be an option from next year.

FluMist is expected to pass Australian regulatory approval before winter 2026.

While young children in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia will be able to have the vaccine for free, Canberra parents will have to pay their local GP.

Doctor and pharmacy bodies are calling for the ACT to follow suit and fund the nasal spray vaccine for children aged

See Full Page