Immunisation Schedule Queensland
Vaccines on the Immunisation Schedule Queensland (PDF 163 kB) are funded for all eligible adults and children in Queensland.
While the vaccine is free, you may have to pay a consultation fee if you are immunised by a doctor or other immunisation provider.
The Queensland School Immunisation Program allows Year 7 and 10 students to be vaccinated through their school for free.
The Immunisation Schedule Queensland—July 2020 (current to date), details the eligibility for National Immunisation Program (NIP) funded vaccines and state-funded vaccines.
Immunisation Schedule Queensland 2023 Adolescents and Adults
Immunisation Schedule Queensland 2023 Children
Immunisation Catch-up Schedule January 2023
Changes to the Immunisation Schedule
In February 2023, changes were made to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule relating to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
Following a review by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) of recent international scientific and clinical evidence, the recommended number of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine doses for year 7 students has changed from two doses to one dose, using the same vaccine.
For people with certain immunocompromising conditions, there is no change to the recommendation of three doses of the HPV vaccine.
People who did not receive the vaccine at school are eligible for a free catch-up vaccine up to and including 25 years of age.
Other important immunisation programs
COVID-19
There are 4 COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Australia. The following 3 are available:
- Pfizer (Comirnaty)
- Moderna (Spikevax)
- Novavax (Nuvaxovid).
These vaccines have been provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
It’s important to keep your COVID-19 vaccinations up-to-date. Boosters provide an extra layer of protection against COVID-19.
A 2023 COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is recommended for adults in the following groups if their last COVID-19 vaccine dose or confirmed infection (whichever is the most recent) was six months ago or longer, and regardless of the number of prior doses received:
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- adults aged 18–64 years who have medical comorbidities that increase their risk of severe COVID-19, or disability with significant or complex health needs.
The following groups should consider a 2023 booster dose if their last COVID-19 vaccine dose or confirmed infection (whichever is the most recent) was six months ago or longer, and regardless of the number of prior doses received, based on an individual risk benefit assessment with their immunisation provider:
- all adults aged 18–64 years without risk factors for severe COVID-19
- children and adolescents aged 5–17 years who have medical comorbidities that increase their risk of severe COVID-19, or disability with significant or complex health needs.
Children aged under 18 years should get two COVID-19 vaccine doses. Boosters are not currently recommended for this age group unless they are immunocompromised. Children aged 6 months to less than 5 years who are severely immunocompromised, have a disability or other complex health conditions are eligible and encouraged to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (paediatric formulation). The recommendation is for two primary doses, except for those with severe immunocompromise who require three primary doses.
Annual influenza program
Annual vaccination is the most important measure to prevent influenza (flu) and its complications and is recommended for all people aged six months and over. Queensland Health coordinates the implementation of the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for influenza in Queensland, which includes distributing influenza vaccine to over 2,500 Queensland vaccine service providers. These providers administer free flu vaccine to all eligible groups. For further details on this program, visit the Queensland Health Influenza Vaccination Guidelines
You can also visit the Australian Immunisation Handbook for further information about influenza vaccinations.
While influenza vaccine will not prevent COVID-19 infection, it can reduce the severity and spread of influenza, which may make a person more susceptible to other respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
Whooping cough, influenza and COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women
Whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women is offered as part of the NIP. Vaccination is recommended with each pregnancy to provide maximum protection for newborn babies. This includes pregnancies which are close together (e.g. less than 2 years).
The online Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends vaccination of pregnant women (between 20 and 32 weeks).
Pregnant women should also ensure they are vaccinated for influenza, which can safely be given at the same time as the whooping cough vaccine. For the best protection against flu, pregnant women who receive an influenza vaccine late in the influenza season should be re-vaccinated if the next season's vaccine becomes available before the end of their pregnancy. However, they must wait until week 20 of their pregnancy to receive the whooping cough vaccine. Women should not delay receiving the influenza vaccine so they can have it at the same time as the whooping cough vaccine.
If you are pregnant, you can receive the Pfizer (Comirnaty) or Moderna (Spikevax) COVID-19 vaccine at any stage of pregnancy.
If you are breastfeeding, you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any time. You do not need to stop breastfeeding before or after vaccination.
No safety concerns have been identified for anyone who received a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. If you have any concerns, speak with your doctor or health professional for advice. Read about pregnancy, breastfeeding and COVID-19 vaccines.
Shingles
A free shingles vaccination is available to all people aged 70 years old, with a five-year catch up program for people aged 71 to 79 years old until 31 October 2023 under the NIP.
Please be aware that the shingles vaccine is not suitable for everyone. It should not be given to people who have an immune system weakened by certain medical conditions or medicines as there is a risk of infection with the vaccine virus, which can have serious life-threatening outcomes. You are encouraged to talk to your GP about the shingles vaccine to see if it is appropriate for you.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B vaccine is funded for the groups listed under the NIP including:
- low-birth weight preterm newborn infants (less than 2,000g) and/or infants born at less than 32 weeks gestation (irrespective of weight), should also receive a booster of a hepatitis B-containing vaccine at 12 months of age
- hepatitis B vaccine is also funded for a primary course for the following groups, if not previously vaccinated:
- household or other close (household-like) contacts of people with hepatitis B
- sexual contacts of people with hepatitis B
- migrants (who have a Medicare card) from hepatitis B endemic countries
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- people with chronic liver disease and/or hepatitis C
- people who inject drugs.
Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended (but not funded) for other individuals who may be at risk of hepatitis B. Refer to the online Australian Immunisation Handbook for further details.
Catch-up vaccines for all children and adolescents up to 19 years
Catch-up immunisations aim to provide optimal protection against disease as quickly as possible by completing the vaccinations recommended for a person.
Immunisation providers should actively review a patient's vaccination history on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and give the appropriate catch-up vaccines as recommended in the online edition of The Australian Immunisation Handbook. An appropriate catch-up schedule cannot be administered without first checking a person’s vaccination history.
If a person has not received all the vaccines in the Immunisation Schedule Queensland (PDF 163 kB) appropriate for their age, plan and document a catch-up schedule for them.
National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator
A National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator (NICC) for children up to 10 years of age has been released by the Australian Government Department of Health.
Immunisation providers and parents can input key information such as the following to determine the catch-up vaccination schedule required:
- name, address and date of birth
- indigenous status
- past vaccination history, by either antigen or vaccine names.
The catch-up calculation output can be printed in hard copy.
The NICC has been developed by the Australian Government Department of Health to replace the current immunisation calculator hosted on the South Australian Department of Health website.
National Immunisation Program schedule changes will be incorporated into the calculator. Future releases of the NICC will focus on expanding to people over the age of 10.
Immunisation
- Registration and qualifications for the administration of vaccines
- Vaccine service provider information
- School Immunisation Program
- Healthcare worker vaccinations
- Immunisation contacts
- Whooping cough (pertussis) and influenza vaccination for pregnant women
- Age of consent for vaccinations
- Queensland Health COVID-19
