National immunisation schedule

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) funds routine vaccinations free of charge for infants, children, adolescents and adults who have, or are eligible for, a Medicare card. The schedule changes periodically (ages, products and funding), so always check the current schedule at health.gov.au or the Australian Immunisation Handbook rather than relying on a saved copy. Printed content may be out of date — for up-to-date information, always refer to the digital version.

Structure (overview — confirm current details)

• Infants — hexavalent (DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib), pneumococcal and rotavirus from 6 weeks / 2, 4, 6 months; meningococcal B additionally funded for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants.
• 12 months — meningococcal ACWY (Nimenrix) and MMR (Priorix), plus a further pneumococcal dose.
• 18 months — MMR–varicella (MMRV, Priorix-Tetra), Hib and DTPa, plus hepatitis A for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in WA, NT, SA and Qld.
• 4 years — DTPa/IPV booster only — no further MMR dose (the single MMRV dose at 18 months is the second measles-containing dose).
• Adolescents (school programs) — HPV (single dose, Gardasil 9) and dTpa at 12–13 years (Year 7); meningococcal ACWY at 14–16 years (Year 10).
• Pregnancy — dTpa, single dose recommended each pregnancy, ideally between 20–32 weeks (may be given up until delivery).
• Pregnancy — influenza, in each pregnancy, at any stage of pregnancy.
• Pregnancy — RSV (maternal Abrysvo), single dose recommended between 28–36 weeks of pregnancy (may be given after 36 weeks based on clinical advice), to protect the newborn.
• Older adults — shingles (Shingrix) and pneumococcal from 65 years, plus annual influenza.
• Older adults — RSV from 75 years; COVID-19 boosters per current advice.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and medically at-risk groups have additional funded vaccines (extra pneumococcal, meningococcal, hepatitis, and earlier/expanded eligibility). See Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health & the 715 Check for the current age/geographic thresholds and the MBS health-assessment item.

For travel-specific and occupational vaccines, see The travel consultation. For assessing an adult’s vaccination status, catch-up schedules and at-risk-group vaccination (immunocompromised, occupational, migrants/refugees), see Adult & At-Risk Immunisation, Catch-Up Schedules.