Getting your child vaccinated from an early age helps protect them against serious infections now and in the future.

Babies are especially vulnerable to disease because their immune and major organ systems aren’t fully developed.

Health advice about Meningococcal B vaccine

From early 2024 the Meningococcal vaccine will be free for eligible Queensland infants, children and adolescents. Find out more on the Queensland Government Queensland MenB Vaccination Program webpage.

Vaccination Schedule

Your child might need to get 2 to 4 different vaccines at certain ages. It’s also important that they get their vaccines on time.

If your child has medically at-risk conditions, they may need extra vaccines. Talk to your GP for more information.

Birth

All children should get a hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth. If they can’t get it at birth, they can have it up to 7 days after.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5 and younger who live in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities should also get a Tuberculosis vaccination.

2 months old

All children should get the following vaccinations:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should also get a Meningococcal B vaccination.

4 months old

All children should get the following vaccinations:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should also get a meningococcal B vaccination.

6 months old

All children should get the following vaccinations:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should also get a Pneumococcal vaccination.

12 months old

All children should get the following vaccinations:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should also get a meningococcal B vaccination.

18 months old

All children should get the following vaccinations:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should also get a hepatitis A vaccination.

4 years old

All children should get a DTPa-IPV (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio) vaccination. This is given as one dose.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should also get hepatitis A and pneumococcal vaccinations. They should get 2 doses of pneumococcal, one at 4 years of age and another at least 5 years later.

Where to get your child vaccinated

Your GP or vaccination provider can vaccinate your child. To find a vaccination provider near you:

When your child has a vaccination

When you take your child to get a vaccination, ask your health provider or vaccination service any questions you might have.

After they have their vaccination, we recommend you stay in the clinic with your child for at least 15 minutes. This it to make sure they don’t experience any immediate side effects.

Once your health provider or vaccination service has given your child their vaccination, they’ll send their vaccination details to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). The AIR collects vaccination information for all children, adolescents and adults in Australia. Find out more about the AIR on the Services Australia website.

When you visit your GP or vaccination provider, take your child’s red book or immunisation record if you have one.

Not vaccinating your child

If you choose not to vaccinate your child, they have a higher risk of serious infectious diseases and possible consequences, such as disability or even death.

Vaccinating your child helps reduce the number of people who may have a virus. This helps protect more vulnerable people like very young children, older people and people with certain medical conditions.

Making vaccinations easier

Getting your child vaccinated can be challenging especially if your child starts to cry, gets restless or angry. To help them you can:

  • hug or hold them firmly during their vaccination
  • breast or bottle feed during their vaccination
  • distract them with their favourite book or toy
  • ask for a pain reliever
  • be honest and calm with them.

Vaccinations for preterm babies

If your baby is preterm, they may need additional doses of some vaccines. Talk to your vaccination service provider for more information.

There’s proof that healthy preterm babies respond well to full vaccine doses.

If your baby is sick or has a low body weight, talk to your doctor or other vaccination service provider about a modified schedule.

What to tell your vaccination service provider

If your child has any of the following, tell your vaccination service provider when you take them to get vaccinated. Tell them if your child:

  • is unwell or has a temperature over 38.5 ºC
  • has had a severe reaction following a previous vaccine
  • has any severe allergies to other medication or substances
  • has had any vaccine in the past month
  • has had an injection of immunoglobulin or any blood products or a whole blood transfusion within the past year
  • was a preterm infant born less than 32 weeks’ gestation, or weighing less than 2kg at birth
  • has had an intussusception – a blockage caused by one portion of the bowel sliding into the next piece of bowel like the pieces of a telescope
  • has a chronic illness
  • has a bleeding disorder
  • doesn’t have a functioning spleen
  • lives with someone with a disease that causes lower immunity, for example leukaemia, cancer or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
  • lives with someone who is having treatment that causes lower immunity, for example oral steroid medications, radiotherapy or chemotherapy
  • has a disease which lowers immunity, for example leukaemia, cancer, HIV or AIDS
  • is having treatment that causes low immunity, for example oral steroid medication, radiotherapy or chemotherapy
  • identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.

Catch ups

If you’ve missed a vaccination, you can catch up. Talk to your vaccination service provider if you think you need to catch up on a vaccination.

Boosters

Different vaccines provide immunity for varying lengths of time.

A booster is an extra dose of a vaccine that you’ve had before. It boosts your immunity against vaccine preventable diseases.

Vaccination information in your language

For information in your language, watch our video.

Before you start the video, select CC to choose your language.

Vaccines for babies and children

In Australia, vaccination is recommended for children at birth, at two, four, six, 12 and 18 months of age and again at four years of age.

All children from six months of age should also have the flu vaccine each year.
The flu vaccine is free in Queensland for children aged from six months to less than five years.

Children from other countries may need to catch up on vaccines recommended in the National Immunisation Programme Schedule.

All children's vaccinations should be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. This is also called the AIR. Your doctor or immunisation service provider will record your child's vaccines for you.

Most child care centres in Queensland will ask you for your child's immunisation record. This is also called an
Immunisation History Statement. This shows if your child is up to date with their vaccinations. Your child's school may also ask for this statement.

Vaccinations your child has had in another country can also be added to your child's immunisation record on the AIR. Give a copy of your child's record to your immunisation provider and ask for the information to be added to the AIR.

If your child's immunisations are not up to date you may miss out on government childcare payments and other family assistance payments.

Ask your doctor to print a copy of your child's immunisation records or call the Australian Immunisation Register 1800 653 809. They will post it to you.

If you need help with English you can use an interpreter by calling 131 450. This service is free.

You can also download your child's immunisation record from your Medicare account through my.gov.au on your computer or your mobile phone.

If your child has an overseas immunisation record in a language other than English you can get the record translated for free. Visit translating.dss.gov.au for more information.

Find out more

For more information about vaccination, contact your health provider or call 13 HEALTH(13 43 25 84) .

Find an vaccination provider

Information in your language

You can find information about vaccination in your language on the  Queensland Government website.

Last updated: August 2023