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Key messages
- Victoria has a schedule of vaccines provided free under the National Immunisation Program and Victorian immunisation programs.
- These vaccines are for children, adolescents and adults at scheduled ages.
- Additional vaccines are recommended for people with an increased risk factor.
- Catch-up vaccines are free for certain groups of people.
Immunisation schedule Victoria
Downloads
Immunisation schedule Victoria – November 2021 (Word)
Check you are using the correct vaccine for age – Childhood National Immunisation Program (PDF/Word)
Check you are using the correct vaccine brand when vaccines contain the same disease antigens.
Eligibility criteria for free vaccine
Infants, children, adolescents, adults and special risk groups are eligible to receive some vaccines for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). The Victorian Government also funds the provision of some vaccines that are not included on the NIP.
Some groups of people can receive free routine and catch-up vaccines following a clinical assessment made by an immunisation provider based on the individual risk for the person.
Free routine and catch-up vaccines are available for the following people where clinically indicated. This includes non-Medicare card holders:
- All people under 20 years of age. From 1 July 2017 the catch-up schedule will need to commence on or before the child's 20th birthday and may be completed beyond this date, as required
- All refugees and humanitarian entrants including asylum seekers
- Vulnerable citizens - A person who has experienced socioeconomic disadvantage that compromised their equitable access to the vaccine during their period of eligibility. Vulnerable citizens are vaccinated based on an individual assessment by an immunisation provider
- Infants from six months and before 11 months of age can receive a dose of MMR vaccine prior to overseas travel
- One or two doses of MMR vaccine is available for all adults born during or since 1966 without evidence of receiving two documented doses of valid MMR vaccine or without serological evidence of immunity
- All pregnant women for influenza vaccine (anytime during pregnancy) and pertussis-containing vaccine (from 20 weeks gestation)
- People at risk of hepatitis B infection as follows:
- All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people -- hepatitis B non-immune, no restrictions.
- Household contacts and sexual partners of people living with hepatitis B
- People who inject drugs or are on opioid substitution therapy
- People living with Hepatitis C
- Men who have sex with men
- People living with HIV
- People no longer in a custodial setting who commenced but did not complete a free vaccine course while in custody
- People born in priority hepatitis B endemic countries and arrived in Australia in the last 10 years. (Priority countries include China, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar (Burma) Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Cambodia)
- Australian volunteer wildlife handlers working in a volunteer service in Victoria for the initial course of pre exposure rabies vaccine
- Post exposure treatment for rabies or Australian Bat Lyssavirus
People 20 years and older
All other people from 20 years of age who do not meet the above criteria, can receive age appropriate vaccines for free under the National Immunisation and the Victorian funded vaccine program.
Catch-up vaccines should be administered according to age-appropriate guidelines in the online digital version of the Australian Immunisation .
Even though the vaccine may be free, the clinical administration of the vaccine/s may incur a fee by the vaccination provider.
Reviewed 11 November 2021