Immunisation schedule and catch-up vaccines

Immunisation schedules

The WA Immunisation Schedule (PDF 188KB) (schedule) and WA Aboriginal Immunisation Schedule (PDF 250KB) outline immunisations recommended and funded at key times throughout a person’s life, providing optimal protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks.

Note: The schedules are subject to change. Please refer to this online version to ensure you are viewing the most up-to-date information. You may need to refresh your browser to see recent updates.

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. The schedules outline eligibility for recommended and funded vaccines.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook (external site) provides current clinical guidelines on all vaccines administered in Australia.

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) as soon as possible.

Catch-up schedule

Catch-up NIP vaccines are provided free for all people (including refugees and humanitarian entrants) less than 20 years of age. The exception is for HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine, which is available free for people aged under26 years.

Catch-up immunisations should be administered based on age, vaccination history, current recommendations and risk factors. For people aged under 20 years, the National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator (external site) assists in developing appropriate catch-up schedules.  

For support with catch-up schedules, contact your local Public Health Unit.

State-funded Special Risk Immunisation Programs

The WA Immunisation Schedule (PDF 188KB) outlines eligibility for temporary or outbreak response immunisation programs for the following vaccines:

Vaccine	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 WA STI and BBV guidelines (Silver book) for further information.
Rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine products	People who have had possible exposure to rabies or other lyssaviruses (including Australian bat lyssavirus) overseas or within Australia. The notification process, 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.

Note: Some immunisation providers may charge a consultation fee for administering the vaccine. You should check if there are any costs when making an appointment with your chosen immunisation provider.

Supplementary schedule resources

The below resources should be used in conjunction with the WA Immunisation Schedules.

Disease/vaccine	Resources
All vaccines	Useful information following vaccination (PDF 170KB).
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)	RSV immunisation decision aid - children and pregnant women. RSV immunisation decision aid - older adults.
Pneumococcal	WA Health Childhood pneumococcal vaccination decision aid. Pneumococcal vaccination for all Australians infographic (external site). PneumoSmart Vaccination Tool – pneumococcal disease vaccination recommendations (external site).
Meningococcal	Meningococcal vaccination for children and adolescents without risk factors (external site). Meningococcal vaccination for people in a special risk group (external site). Managing fever after meningococcal B vaccine for more information.
DTPa-HB-IPV-Hib vaccine	DTPa-HB-IPV-Hib vaccine (Vaxelis® and Infanrix hexa®) – frequently asked questions (external site).
Hepatitis A/B	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. WA STI and BBV guidelines (Silver book).

Additional information for special risk groups

People with medical risk conditions (MRC) are recommended to have additional vaccines. For further information please see the resources below.

• 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 - vaccination for special risk groups (external site).

Additional vaccines are recommended at certain ages for Aboriginal people.

• ATAGI clinical advice on vaccination recommendations for Aboriginal people from 1 July 2020 (external site).
• Vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people | The Australian Immunisation Handbook (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).