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 adult pneumococcal vaccination

From 1 July 2026, the 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (21vPCV), Capvaxive®, will be introduced on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and the adult immunisation schedule updated. Capvaxive® will replace Prevenar 13® and Pneumovax 23® on the NIP for adults. 

The pneumococcal vaccine, Capvaxive®, is recommended and free through the NIP for: 

• adults aged 65 years and over
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 25 years and over
• adults aged 18 years and over with specified medical conditions that increase their risk of severe disease. 

Eligible adults who have previously received a dose of any other pneumococcal vaccine are recommended to receive a dose of Capvaxive® at least 12 months after their last dose. 

For clinical recommendations, vaccination providers are encouraged to refer to the pneumococcal chapter of the Australian Immunisation Handbook. These changes lower the age at which people are recommended for pneumococcal vaccination, simplify the vaccine schedule, and cover more strains of the disease.

The NIP has released an updated program advice for health professionals.

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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RSV vaccination

The Queensland Paediatric RSV Prevention Program provides free RSV vaccination: 

• During pregnancy at 28 to 36 weeks gestation
• For eligible infants and young children under 2 years

The following people with a Medicare card will be eligible to receive an RSV immunisation with Arexvy under this program as of the 1st of May 2026:

• All people 75 years and over
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 60 years and over.

RSV vaccination is also recommended, but not funded, for:

• People aged 50 years and older with medical risk factors.

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.