Immunisation schedule and catch-up vaccines

Immunisation schedule

The WA Immunisation schedule (PDF 188KB) is a series of immunisations given at specific times throughout an individual’s life.

NOTE: The Schedule is subject to change; please ensure to refresh your page or clear your browser cache to view the latest document.

The WA Department of Health supplements the National Immunisation Program (external site) (NIP) through State-funded programs for specific cohorts that may be at-risk. 

Routine vaccines are recommended for infants, children, adolescents, adults and pregnant people, at scheduled ages for optimal protection from vaccine-preventable diseases. Eligibility to each cohort’s scheduled vaccines is outlined on the Schedule, and vaccines are provided for free.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook (external site) is an online resource and provides current clinical guidelines on all vaccines in Australia.

Reminders when using the schedule

Immunisation providers are reminded to actively review patient immunisation history as recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and offer appropriate vaccines and catch-up schedules as recommended in the Australian Immunisation Handbook (external site).

Use the Frequently Asked Questions – DTPa-HB-IPV-Hib vaccine (Vaxelis^® and Infanrix hexa^®) (external site) resource to assist administration of DTPa-HB-IPV-Hib vaccine. 

Use the Meningococcal and Pneumococcal Tables (PDF 179KB) for implementing meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccinations in conjunction with the WA Immunisation Schedule.

• PneumoSmart Vaccination Tool – pneumococcal disease vaccination recommendations (external site)
• Clinical decision tree for immunisation providers for NIP-funded pneumococcal vaccine (external site)

It is recommended that children are given prophylactic paracetamol to reduce the probability and severity of fever that may develop following immunisation with Bexsero®. Please see the WA guidance on managing fever after meningococcal B vaccine (PDF 413KB) for more information. This guidance has also been developed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (PDF 585KB).

Immunisation providers may choose to use the Useful information following vaccination (PDF 170KB) resource to discuss with your patients before they (or their children) are vaccinated. This resource contains a checklist of vaccine-specific side effects.

Catch-up schedule

If a person has not received their routine vaccinations as specified in the WA Immunisation Schedule, they should be vaccinated using an appropriate catch-up schedule as soon as possible.

Catch-up vaccines are provided for free to Australian residents aged <20 years, or aged <26 years for the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. Catch-up vaccinations should be administered based on age, vaccination history, current recommendations and risk factors. For persons <10 years, the National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator (external site) assists in developing appropriate catch-up schedules. The NICC cannot be used for persons aged over 10 years of age (refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook (external site) for timing of doses).

For support on catch-up schedules, contact your local Public Health Unit (Healthy WA).

State-funded vaccines and products in addition to the WA Immunisation Schedule

WA Department of Health funds programs not listed on the WA Immunisation Schedule for at-risk patients:

Disease	Eligibility
Hepatitis A (Hep A) and/or Hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine	People who are at increased risk of acquiring infections by sexual transmission and/or injecting drug use. Refer to The Guidelines for the Provision of Hepatitis A and B Vaccine to Adults in Western Australia at Risk of Acquiring these Infections by Sexual Transmission and Injecting Drug Use (PDF 248KB) for eligibility or visit Silver book - STI/BBV management guidelines for further information.
Rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine products	People that have had possible exposure to rabies or other lyssaviruses (including Australian bat lyssavirus) overseas or within Australia. The notification process, and Public health guidelines and forms are outlined on Rabies and other lyssaviruses web page.
Mpox vaccine	Provided free for eligible persons.
Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) vaccine	Provided free for eligible persons.

COVID-19 vaccines are not currently a NIP-funded vaccine, for more information visit COVID-19 immunisation.

Additional information for special risk groups

• People with medical risk conditions (MRC) are recommended to have additional vaccines. 
  • Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) clinical advice on vaccine recommendations for people with risk conditions from 1 July 2020 (external site).
  • Australian Immunisation Handbook (external site) - vaccination for special risk groups .
• Aboriginal persons have higher rates of some  vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) than non-Aboriginal persons. This is attributed to the higher rate of chronic health conditions and social circumstances that can lead to an increase in disease burden. Therefore, additional vaccines are recommended at certain ages.
  • ATAGI clinical advice on vaccination recommendations for Aboriginal people from 1 July 2020 (external site).
  • Learn more about WA Aboriginal immunisation.
• Refugees and humanitarian entrants.
  • Free catch-up vaccines for refugees and other humanitarian entrants aged 20 years and older – National Immunisation Program (external site).