Key facts
- Catch-up vaccination is giving a dose of vaccine after the recommended age
- For some time-sensitive vaccines, you cannot give a catch-up dose
- You should review your patient’s vaccination history and provide catch-up vaccinations when needed
- Before providing catch-up vaccination, create a catch-up schedule for your patient
What is a catch-up vaccination
A catch-up vaccination is a vaccine dose given after the recommended age or schedule point.
This helps patients get missed vaccine doses and be protected against vaccine-preventable diseases as soon as possible.
If your patient has missed getting a dose of vaccine at the recommended time, assess whether they are eligible to receive the dose as a catch-up vaccination.
You can give some vaccines after the recommended time frames on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule. Others have strict timeframes, and you cannot give them later.
Before providing a catch-up vaccination:
- check the person's vaccination history
- identify any overdue vaccine doses
- check whether the vaccine can still be given
- create a catch-up vaccination schedule.
Checking your patient’s vaccination history
Use the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to check your patient’s vaccination history – see the Manage immunisation records in the AIR page on the Services Australia website.
You should also review any available vaccination records, including:
- personal vaccination records
- school vaccination records
- practice records
- overseas vaccination records.
This will help you identify any overdue vaccine doses and decide if your patient needs any catch-up vaccinations.
Review previous vaccine doses to confirm they were given at the correct ages and minimum intervals.
If relevant vaccination records are not recorded in AIR, update AIR where appropriate.
For refugees and humanitarian entrants, review any available overseas vaccination records, Departure Health Check documentation or immigration detention health records.
Free catch-up vaccinations under the NIP
Check whether the person is eligible for free catch-up vaccination under the NIP.
Free catch-up vaccinations are available for vaccines missed in childhood:
- people under 20 years of age
- people under 26 years of age who missed human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination
- refugees and humanitarian entrants of any age.
The vaccines available through catch-up arrangements vary according to a person's age and circumstances.
The free catch-up vaccinations page outlines the catch-up vaccinations available under the NIP, who can get them and when they can get them.
Read the catch-up resources to help you make a catch-up schedule for your patient.
If your patient is not eligible for the free catch-up vaccines
Patients who cannot get the free catch-up vaccines under the NIP may still benefit from a catch-up schedule.
State and territory programs may fund some vaccines. Contact your state or territory health department for advice.
Creating a catch-up vaccination schedule
After reviewing the relevant clinical information for your patient, use the Australian Immunisation Handbook catch-up vaccination guidance to plan a catch-up schedule.
The guidance includes:
- worksheets and tables to help you plan a catch-up schedule
- minimum age for first doses of vaccines in young children
- number of doses a person should have had if they were on schedule
- minimum intervals between doses
- online catch-up calculator for infants, children and teens under 20 years of age.
Reporting catch-up vaccinations
After administering a catch-up vaccination, remember to report it on the AIR.
For more information, see Using the AIR.
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