Child and adult immunisation

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) is a series of immunisations given at specific times throughout a person’s life from birth through to adulthood. State and territory health departments also fund some additional vaccines. The Queensland Government via Metro North Health works with registered vaccine service providers to protect the community against vaccine preventable infectious diseases. 

The Metro North Public Health Unit (PHU) can provide clinical advice regarding immunisation including registration of a service provider, ordering and cold chain management and catch-up schedules. The Metro North PHU can be contacted by phone on 07 3624 1111 or email via qhip-admin@health.qld.gov.au

If you are a suitably qualified service and would like to discuss registering as a service provider to access vaccines as part of the National Immunisation Program, please email qhip-admin@health.qld.gov.au.

Queensland Adult Immunisation Services (QASIS)

Vaccination advice for people over 16 years of age with complex medical conditions as well as those who have experienced, or are at risk of, an adverse event following immunisations. For more information including referral guidelines, please visit Queensland Adult Specialist Immunisation Service (QASIS) - Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

Changes to childhood pneumococcal vaccination

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has reviewed pneumococcal vaccines on the current childhood immunisation schedule. Based on ATAGI’s advice, the government has made changes to the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

From 1 September 2025, Prevenar 20 will be introduced into the NIP to replace Prevenar 13 and Pneumovax 23 on the childhood schedule. The introduction of Prevenar 20 simplifies the vaccine schedule, reduces the number of doses and covers more strains of the disease.

All First Nations children will receive 4 doses, making the program consistent across all states and territories. 

From 1 September 2025, children under 5 years, who have:

• not yet started their pneumococcal schedule should receive 3 doses of Prevenar 20.
• previously received 1 or 2 doses of Prevenar 13 should receive Prevenar 20 for all subsequent doses to complete the recommended vaccination course (where required).
• already completed a Prevenar 13 vaccination course who are due for a Pneumovax 23 booster should receive 1 dose of Prevenar 20 instead.

NIP have released a provider fact sheet, FAQ document and consumer fact sheet to support vaccination providers.

To provide additional support to vaccination providers, Queensland Health have released a childhood immunisation visual tool and a pneumococcal product selection guide.

Measles

In addition to those eligible for measles vaccination under the National Immunisation Program, measles-containing vaccine is funded in Queensland for:

• All people born during or after 1966:
  Two doses of a measles-containing vaccine are recommended and funded. People who do not have documented evidence of receiving 2 doses of a measles containing vaccine are eligible and funded to receive these doses.

• Infants travelling overseas or within Australia to areas where measles is endemic or outbreaks are occurring:
  An additional early dose of a measles-containing vaccine for infants aged 6 to 11 months is recommended and funded, following an individual risk assessment by a healthcare provider. These infants still require two doses of measles-containing vaccine at the routine scheduled time points (12 and 18 months).  Refer to Australian Immunisation Handbook for further information.

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Infant and maternal vaccination for RSV

The Queensland Paediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention Program is expanding from 1 December 2024. This expanded program provides free Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation to eligible Queensland infants and pregnant people.

From 1 December 2024, the program will offer infants protection against severe RSV disease through infant immunisation and maternal vaccination.

The products funded under this program are:

• Abrysvo ®, an RSV vaccine given to pregnant people between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to protect infants against severe RSV disease from birth for up to 6 months.
• Nirsevimab (brand name Beyfortus®), a long-acting monoclonal antibody that provides infants and young children protection against severe RSV disease for at least 5 months from administration.

Both products have been determined by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to be safe and effective and are approved for use in Australia.

Infants and pregnant people who are residents of Queensland can receive free RSV immunisation under this program. Eligibility for this program is not linked to Medicare status.

Infants born to a person who received RSV vaccination during their pregnancy do not routinely require Nirsevimab. Please view the clinical guidance for immunisation service providers or visit the Queensland Government website for more information including eligibility criteria and consent forms.

QHIP registered providers will be able to offer Abrysvo ® to pregnant people from 1 December 2024. This includes providers in general practice, pharmacy, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services, community immunisation clinics and some maternity and antenatal health services. 

Nirsevimab 50mg continues to be available, 100mg stock is expected to be available in early 2025.

Abrysvo ® can be ordered from Queensland Health Immunisation Program (QHIP) from 25 November 2024. QHIP registered providers can place an order for Nirsevmab and Abrysvo ® in their next routine order using the vaccine order form or by emailing QHIP-Admin@health.qld.gov.au.

Stock of  Abrysvo ® from QHIP is only for maternal vaccination only. For all other indications, please order through your usual private wholesalers.