In Victoria some special, at-risk groups are eligible to receive some vaccines for free: vulnerable people, preterm infants, children and adolescents in out-of-home care, medically at-risk people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and refugees and asylum seekers.
Vulnerable people
Some people who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage don't have equitable access to vaccines during their period of eligibility.
Preterm infants
Infants born less than 32 weeks gestation or weighing less than 2000 grams or with risk conditions are recommended additional vaccines.
Children and adolescents in out-of-home care
What you need to know
- Children and adolescents living in out-of-home care are often behind with their immunisations.
- Carers can give a general practitioner (GP) permission to give vaccines to a child in their care, if they have a child-specific instrument of authorisation or standard authorisation issued by the child’s Community Service Organisation or Child Protection.
- Mature minor1consent may be used if the Immunisation Provider deems an adolescent can provide their own valid consent for vaccination.
- To enrol in childcare, a child must have an immunisation history statement showing which immunisations they have received.
- Centrelink family payments may stop if a child is not up to date with vaccinations.
- Talk about immunisation at the child’s health check with a GP.
Immunisation for children in out-of-home care - specific fact sheets for Immunisation Providers, Carers and Child Protection Practitioners and Case Managers.
Immunisation for children prior to their 10th birthday.
People with medical risk conditions
Additional vaccines are recommended for people with certain medical conditions.
- ATAGI clinical advice on vaccination recommendations for people with risk conditions from 1 July
- Clinical decision tree for vaccination providers for National Immunisation Program funded pneumococcal vaccine and for an updated list of risk conditions and their eligibility for NIP
- PneumoSmart Vaccination for pneumococcal disease vaccination recommendations.
- Zostavax® screening
- The Australian immunisation , Vaccination for Special Risk Groups.
- Current immunisation schedule - enhanced immunisation schedule available from this page.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Specified additional vaccines are recommended at certain ages.
- ATAGI clinical advice on the changes to vaccine recommendations and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 1 July
- Current immunisation schedule - enhanced immunisation schedule available from this page.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander immunisation recommendations and
Refugees and asylum seekers
Vaccines are funded regardless of whether the person holds a Medicare card.
- Catch up vaccinations for refugees and asylum seekers in - information in eight community languages - Health Translations.
- Immunisation: information for case workers and health service staff - Victorian Refugee Health
- Catch-up immunisation for refugees and asylum seekers: information for immunisation
- Vaccines – eligibility criteria for free vaccines
- National Immunisation Program: Free catch-up vaccines for refugees and other humanitarian entrants aged 20 years and over
Age, lifestyle and occupation
Other factors may require a person to need additional vaccines. More information can be found in the Australian immunisation , Vaccination for Special Risk Groups.
Download the Immunisation schedule Victoria and read the Eligibility criteria for free vaccine.
For information about vaccinations in the workplace, such as for healthcare workers, working with children and influenza vaccination please visit the Vaccinations in the workplace section.
1young people can be deemed to be able to provide consent for their own treatment if they meet the ‘mature minor’ or ‘Gillick principle’.
Reviewed 12 May 2023