Individuals with specific medical conditions, underlying health issues, or other risk factors are at higher risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and the Victorian Immunisation schedule for these special-risk groups.
Key messages
- The National Immunisation Program (NIP) provides free vaccines to eligible people.
- Catch-up immunisation is available for people up to 20 years of age (26 years for HPV) and for refugees and humanitarian entrants of any age.
- Additional vaccines are recommended for:
- people with specified medical risk factors
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- In Victoria some special-risk groups are eligible to receive free vaccines.
- Providers can access resources to support catch-up immunisation.
Vulnerable citizens
Some people facing social or economic challenges may not have access to routine vaccines during their period of eligibility. Vulnerable citizens are offered immunisation following an individual assessment by an immunisation provider.
Children and adolescents in out-of-home care
Children and adolescents living in out-of-home care are often behind with their immunisations.
Carers can give a GP permission to vaccinate a child in their care if they have official authorisation.
This authorisation can be a:
- standard authorisation from the child’s care organisation, or
- child-specific authorisation from Child Protection.
These documents allow carers to make decisions about routine medical care, including immunisations.
- Mature minor consent may be used if the Immunisation Provider determines that an adolescent can provide their own valid consent for vaccination. Young people must meet the requirements of the ‘mature minor’ or ‘Gillick principle’. This principle is enshrined in section 4 of the Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016 (Vic).
- 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 immunisations.
People with medical risk conditions
Extra vaccines are recommended for people with certain medical conditions.
Please refer to the below link for more information:
- Immunisation recommendations for people with certain medical risk conditions
- Victorian Immunisation schedule
- PneumoSmart Vaccination Tool for pneumococcal vaccine recommendations
- National Immunisation Program Schedule
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Additional vaccines are recommended at certain ages.
- National Immunisation Program Schedule
- Vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Supporting conversations about vaccinations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people NCIRS
Refugees and humanitarian entrants
Specified vaccines are funded for all ages, regardless of Medicare status
- Catch-up immunisations for refugees and humanitarian entrants
- Catch up vaccinations for refugees and asylum seekers in Victoria (information in eight community languages on Health Translations).
Catch-up immunisation
Resources are available to support immunisation providers to develop catch-up immunisation plans for eligible people in these special risk groups.
Further support
Specialist Hospital Immunisation services are available to support the immunisation needs of people with complex risk conditions.
Immunisation hotline - 1300 882 924
- Option 2: Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) General Immunisation Advice and Specialist Immunisation Services
- Option 4: Monash Immunisation Service and Specialist Immunisation Services
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