Key messages
- Adolescents not attending secondary school should still receive all recommended immunisations as outlined in the National Immunisation Program Schedule.
- Vaccination options include GPs, local councils, health services, and authorised pharmacist immunisers.
- Young people under 18 years require parental consent for immunisation, unless assessed as a mature minor.
- Catch-up vaccinations: Some adolescents may require additional doses to complete missed vaccines.
Immunisation providers
In Victoria, adolescents and young adults aged 10 – 25 years (including refugees, asylum seekers and other humanitarian entrants) are eligible for free vaccines under the National Immunisation Program.
Vaccines are usually delivered by local councils in secondary schools. However, young people who are not attending school, or for who prefer or need to access the vaccines in an alternative setting, can still access free vaccines through the following immunisation providers.
GPs (doctors)
- Vaccines on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule are free.
- Appointments are required, and while the vaccine itself is free, the GP may charge a consultation fee.
Nurse immunisers
- Nurse immunisers are registered nurses with additional training that are authorised to administer vaccines to certain groups under the Secretary Approval: Nurse Immuniser.
- Nurse immunisers are employed across a range of settings including local councils, general practices, hospitals, community health and occupational health services.
- Free vaccines provided to adolescents under the National Immunisation Program are most often given by nurse immunisers who are employed by .
Pharmacist immunisers
- Pharmacist immunisers are registered pharmacists that have completed an immuniser program of study that are authorised to administer specified vaccines to approved client groups under the Secretary Approval: Pharmacist Immuniser.
- This includes diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, human papilloma virus and meningococcal ACWY vaccines for adolescents and young adults eligible to receive a free vaccine under the National Immunisation Program.
Consent for immunisation
Parent/guardian consent
Children and young people under 18 years of age generally require parent/guardian consent to be vaccinated. Consent can be provided by the parent/guardian accompanying the young person to receive the vaccine/s.
Consent without a parent/guardian
The law recognises that as children become older and more mature, they are more capable of making their own decisions about a wide range of issues including decisions about their healthcare and wellbeing.
The law recognises that a young person may reach this stage before they are 18 years old. These young people are referred to as 'mature minors'1.
There is no specific age when a young person may be deemed a mature minor. Determining whether a young person is a mature minor requires consideration of whether they have sufficient maturity to understand the nature and effect of a decision to be vaccinated. Relevant factors include:
- age
- level of maturity for their age
- understanding of the issues and consequences
- living arrangements (independence).
A medical practitioner or other health or welfare professional who is considered to have sufficient knowledge of the young person and their history and circumstances can make this assessment based on the factors listed above.
Catch-up immunisation for adolescents
Some young people may require catch-up vaccines to bring them up to date with the vaccines provided under the National Immunisation Program.
Depending on the circumstances, planning a catch-up schedule can be a complex undertaking.
To assist, resources are available to support immunisation providers to develop catch-up vaccination plans:
Information about free catch-up is also available from the Department of Health and Aged Care.
1young people can be deemed to be able to provide consent for their own treatment if they meet the ‘mature minor’ or ‘Gillick principle’. This principle is enshrined in section 4 of the Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016 .
Reviewed 08 December 2025