Immunisation for people with medical risk conditions

Vaccines for people with medical risk conditions

People with specific medical risk conditions are at greater risk of getting some vaccine-preventable diseases and need additional protection.

Speak to your health professional about your and your family’s specific needs. They can advise if you or your children need additional or specific vaccines.

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) funds a number of vaccines for people with specific medical risk conditions, including:

• pneumococcal
• meningococcal
• influenza 
• haemophilus influenzae type b
• shingles.

Not all medical risk conditions are covered for free. For information on medical conditions recommended and/or funded, refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

Pneumococcal vaccine

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

• all people with conditions that increase their risk of pneumococcal disease.

The type of vaccine used and the dosage schedule will depend on age and any conditions that put people at higher risk of getting pneumococcal disease. Ask your health professional what pneumococcal vaccination to get and when.

Medical risk conditions covered under the NIP:

• Previous episode of invasive pneumococcal disease
• Functional or anatomical asplenia
• Immunocompromising conditions
• Proven or presumptive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak
• Chronic respiratory disease
• Chronic renal disease
• Cardiac disease
• Children born less than 28 weeks gestation
• Trisomy 21

Talk to your health professional about your eligibility for a free pneumococcal vaccine and if you or your children need additional vaccinations.

Find more information: Pneumococcal vaccine.

Meningococcal vaccine

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

• All people who have who have specific medical risk conditions

Medical risk conditions covered under the NIP:

• defects in, or deficiency of, complement components, including factor H, factor D or properdin deficiency
• people with acquired complement deficiency due to receipt of complement inhibitor therapy (including but not limited to eculizumab or ravulizumab)
• functional or anatomical asplenia, including sickle cell disease or other haemoglobinopathies, and congenital or acquired asplenia
• HIV, regardless of disease stage or CD4⁺ cell count
• haematopoietic stem cell transplant

Talk to your health professional about your eligibility for a free Meningococcal vaccine and if you or your children need additional vaccinations.

Find more information: Meningococcal vaccine.

Influenza vaccine

Influenza vaccination under the NIP is free and recommended for people aged 6 months and over with specific medical conditions. These conditions increase their risk of serious complications if they catch the flu.

The National Immunisation Program covers free annual flu vaccination for people with the following medical risk conditions that increase their risk of influenza:

• cardiac disease
• chronic respiratory conditions
• immunocompromising conditions
• haematological disorders
• chronic metabolic disorder
• chronic kidney disease
• chronic neurological condition
• long term aspirin therapy in children aged 5 to 10 years.

Talk to your health professional about your eligibility for a free Influenza vaccine and if you are at risk of serious complications from influenza.

Find more information: Influenza (flu) vaccine.

Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine

The haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine is recommended and free for people over 5 years with functional or anatomical asplenia if they were not fully vaccinated in early childhood.

Get more information: Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccine.

Shingles vaccine

Shingles vaccination is recommended and free for people aged 18 years and over considered at increased risk of herpes zoster due to an underlying condition and/or immunomodulatory/ immunosuppressive treatments. 

Medical conditions covered under the NIP: 

• Acute haematological malignancies
• Chronic haematological malignancies
• Human immunodeficiency virus infection
• Inborn errors of immunity with ongoing functional deficits
• Chronic kidney disease
• Cellular therapies and stem cell transplantation
• B and T-cell targeted monoclonal antibody therapies
• Cancer therapies
• Conventional immunosuppressive agents
• Biologic therapies
• Immunomodulatory drugs
• Oral small molecule targeted therapies
• Immunosuppressive therapy to prevent organ rejection
• Interleukin (IL) inhibitors

People who previously received a free Zostavax^® shingles vaccine under the NIP are not eligible for a free Shingrix^® vaccine for at least 5 years.  

People who have purchased the Zostavax^® vaccine privately can receive Shingrix^® for free under the program if they are eligible.

People should wait at least 12 months between receiving Zostavax^® and getting the Shingrix^® vaccine. 

Talk to your health professional about your eligibility for a free shingles vaccine. 

Get more information: Shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine