Child and adult immunisation
A suite of resources for immunisation providers.
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
Meningococcal ACWY vaccines
From 1 July 2024, there are changes to the meningococcal ACWY vaccines under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). Key points include:
- From 1 July 2024, the NIP will fund meningococcal ACWY vaccine MenQuadfi® for adolescents aged 14 to 16 years and those aged 15 to 19 years on catch-up schedules. Children aged 12 months and people with specified medical conditions will continue to receive Nimenrix®.
- Vaccines will be delivered through school vaccination programs and health services, including pharmacies, for those young people on catch-up schedules.
- It is mandatory to report all meningococcal ACWY vaccines you have administered to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
Further information will be available on the Department of Health and Aged Care's website when the change takes effect on 1 July 2024. For more information, please visit the program advice fact sheet or the meningococcal ACWY vaccine website.
Infant vaccination for RSV
Commencing on the 15th of April 2024, the Queensland Paediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention (QPRSVP) Program will provide free Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisation to eligible Queensland infants born on or from the 1st of February 2024 up until they turn 8 months of age.
The QPRSVP Program will use Nirsevimab (brand name Beyfortus®). This is a medicine that contains pre-made antibodies that can prevent against severe RSV disease. For more information, please visit the Queensland Health website.
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) clinical statement provides advice on the use of the Arexvy vaccine for the prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Disease in older adults in Australia. The statement can be found via the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
Queensland MenB Vaccination Program
The Queensland MenB Vaccination Program will provide free meningococcal B (menB) vaccines to eligible Queensland infants, children and adolescents. This program will be implemented in full by the end of March 2024, with vaccine deliveries to Queensland Health registered vaccination service providers commencing from mid-February 2024. For more information, please visit the Queensland Health website.
NIP Shingles Program from 1 November 2023
From 1 November 2023, there are changes to the shingles vaccination schedule under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
Key points
• From 1 November 2023, the shingles vaccine Shingrix® will replace Zostavax® on the NIP schedule. The groups eligible to receive the free vaccine will also change. The NIP will fund a 2-dose course for eligible people.
• Shingrix® is a non-live vaccine. It’s highly effective in the prevention of herpes zoster (shingles) and its complications, including post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised people.
The NIP has released a factsheet for vaccination providers for further program information.
-
Immunisation Schedules
-
link
Queensland Health immunisation schedules for children and adults
-
link
Catch-up vaccinations
Immunisation Programs
-
link
National Immunisation Program (NIP)
-
link
Queensland Health Immunisation Program
-
link
Metro North Health Immunisation Program
Additional resources
-
link
The Australian Immunisation Handbook
-
link
Recommended sites for childhood vaccination
-
pdf
Following vaccination – what to expect and what to do
-
link
Reporting an adverse event following immunisation
-
link
Immunisation medical exemptions