Vaccinating people with medical risk conditions

What is a medical risk condition

A medical risk condition is a condition that can increase your patient’s risk of getting some vaccine-preventable diseases. These conditions also increase their risk of becoming seriously ill.

Advising patients on vaccines for medical risk conditions

As a health professional, you should understand which vaccines are recommended for your patient with medical risk conditions.  

It is also important to know if the relevant vaccine is free under the NIP so you can explain this to your patient.

Even if the vaccine is not free under the NIP, your patient can buy one with a prescription. You should advise them of this option and let them know if you also charge a consultation fee to give vaccines.

Some patients with medical risk conditions may need additional vaccine doses, booster doses or different vaccination schedules. Check the Australian Immunisation Handbook for condition-specific advice.

Checking if your patient is eligible

To receive a free vaccine under the NIP, your patient must:

• have a Medicare card, or be eligible for Medicare – see Enrolling in Medicare
• meet the eligibility requirements for a medical risk condition covered under the relevant vaccine.

What is covered by the NIP

The NIP covers conditions that:

• make a patient more likely to get a vaccine-preventable disease
• weaken a patient’s immune system
• need treatment that weakens a patient’s immune system.  

Medical risk conditions can include things like:

• heart disease  
• chronic lung or respiratory conditions  
• chronic kidney disease  
• chronic liver disease  
• weakened immune systems  
• some cancers and cancer treatments  
• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)  
• organ or stem cell transplants  
• some blood disorders  
• conditions affecting the spleen.

Recommended NIP vaccines for medical risk conditions  

Each vaccine has specific medical risk conditions that are covered under the NIP.  You can use guidance in the Australian Immunisation Handbook to help advise your patient which vaccines they should get.

Use the Australian Immunisation Handbook to check:

• whether a vaccine is recommended for a patient's medical risk condition
• the recommended vaccination schedule
• whether additional doses or booster doses are recommended
• whether the vaccine is funded under the NIP.  

The handbook provides information about vaccine recommendations and NIP eligibility for medical risk conditions, including:

• COVID-19 vaccine  
• flu vaccine  
• haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine  
• human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine  
• pneumococcal vaccine  
• shingles vaccine.  

Meningococcal vaccines

The meningococcal vaccines are free and recommended under the NIP for all people with specified medical risk conditions that increase their risk of meningococcal disease.

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine  

The Meningococcal ACWY vaccine is free and recommended under the NIP for people with specified medical risk conditions. This includes people:

• with acquired complement deficiency due to receipt of complement inhibitor therapy  
• undergoing eculizumab treatment
• who will undergo treatment or start treatment with Empaveli® (pegcetacoplan) for the treatment of adults with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria who:
  • have an inadequate clinical response
  • are intolerant to treatment with eculizumab or ravulizumab.  
• with congenital or acquired asplenia or hyposplenia.  

Meningococcal B vaccine  

The Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine is free and recommended under the NIP for the following groups.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with specified medical risk conditions that increase susceptibility to meningococcal disease, including:  

• deficiencies or defects in complement components, factor H, factor D, or properdin deficiency  
• acquired complement deficiency due to treatment with complement inhibitors eculizumab or ravulizumab  
• functional or anatomical asplenia, including conditions such as sickle cell disease, other haemoglobinopathies, or congenital/acquired asplenia  
• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, irrespective of disease stage or CD4+ cell count
• recipients of haematopoietic stem cell transplants.

All people with the following specified medical risk conditions:  

• those undergoing or scheduled to commence treatment with Empaveli® (pegcetacoplan)  
• individuals with acquired complement deficiency due to complement inhibitor therapy (for example, eculizumab or ravulizumab)  
• those with congenital or acquired asplenia or hyposplenia.

Resources for patients

Share these resources with your patients:

• Free vaccines for people with medical risk conditions page
• Getting vaccinated page
• NIP schedule.

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