Getting vaccinated

Check what vaccines are recommended for you

Talk to a health professional to confirm what vaccines are recommended for you or your child. This will depend on your age, health, work, travel plans and lifestyle.  

Recommended vaccines may include: 

• free scheduled or catch-up vaccines on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule
• other free vaccines from your state or territory health department 
• vaccines that are not free, such as vaccines for travel and vaccines for work.

Some vaccines are available for free through the NIP. Eligibility for free vaccines depends on factors such as age, medical conditions and Medicare status. 

If you or your child missed vaccines in the past, you may still be able to get them through a catch-up vaccination schedule. Talk to a health professional about your options. 

Tell your health professional if you are pregnant, have a medical condition, are receiving treatment that affects your immune system, or have had a reaction to a vaccine before.  

Not sure what vaccines you’ve already had? You or your health professional can get a copy of your immunisation history statement for free. Read the Check immunisation history page for more information. 

Find a vaccination provider

To find a provider in your area, you can either:  

• contact your state and territory immunisation health service  
• use the healthdirect Service Finder and Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet Map of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical services. 

Free scheduled vaccines are available through: 

• general practitioners (GPs) 
• community health centres 
• participating pharmacies 
• schools (for teens) – find out more from your state or territory health service 
• local council immunisation clinics in some states and territories 
• Aboriginal Medical Services.

Make an appointment

When you make an appointment: 

• confirm they have the vaccines you need 
• check the cost – even if it’s a free vaccine, there may be a consultation fee. 

Attend your appointment

At the appointment, you must agree verbally or in writing before getting the vaccine. Parents or guardians must agree for children or people in their care. 

You may also need to complete a pre-vaccination checklist. 

The health provider will: 

• talk to you about how you or your child will receive the vaccine 
• give the vaccine as a needle in the arm or leg, drops in the mouth or a nasal spray 
• ask you to stay for 15 minutes to make sure you or your child feel well after getting the vaccine. 

Find tips on making a vaccination appointment easier for your child. 

Your vaccination record

After your vaccination, your provider will record it in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). 

You can access your immunisation history statement online or ask your health professional for help. See the Check immunisation history page for more information.

Monitor for side effects

You may have side effects after the vaccine. Most are minor and go away quickly. Find out: 

• about the common side effects of the free scheduled vaccines 
• how to manage the side effects of vaccination. 

If you’re worried, contact your health professional. 

More information

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