Some people are at higher risk of vaccine-preventable diseases due to certain conditions, underlying disease, or other risk factors. Vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program and the Victorian Immunisation schedule for these special-risk groups.
Vulnerable citizens
Some people who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage may not have equitable access to vaccines during their period of eligibility. Vulnerable citizens are vaccinated based on an individual assessment by an immunisation provider.
Children and adolescents in out-of-home care
Children and adolescents living in out-of-home care are often behind with their immunisations.
- Carers can give a general practitioner (GP) permission to give vaccines to a child in their care, if they have a child-specific instrument of authorisation or standard authorisation issued by the child’s Community Service Organisation or Child Protection.
- Mature minor consent may be used if the Immunisation Provider deems an adolescent can provide their own valid consent for vaccination.
- To enrol in childcare, a child must have an immunisation history statement showing which immunisations they have received.
- Centrelink family payments may stop if a child is not up to date with vaccinations.
- Talk about immunisation at the child’s health check with a GP.
- Immunisation for children in out-of-home care - specific fact sheets for Immunisation Providers, Carers and Child Protection Practitioners and Case Managers.
People with medical risk conditions
Additional vaccines are recommended for people with certain medical conditions.
- National Immunisation Program Schedule
- Immunisation recommendations for people with risk factors for certain vaccine preventable diseases (NCIRS)
- Victorian Immunisation schedule and eligibility criteria
- Clinical decision tree for vaccination providers - pneumococcal vaccines
- PneumoSmart Vaccination Tool for pneumococcal vaccine recommendations
- Zoster (herpes zoster) Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre (MVEC).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Specified additional vaccines are recommended at certain ages.
- National Immunisation Program Schedule
- Vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- Immunisation recommendations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people without risk factors NCIRS
- Victorian Immunisation schedule and eligibility criteria
- Supporting conversations about vaccinations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people NCIRS
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander immunisation recommendations and resources MVEC.
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Specified vaccines are funded for all ages, regardless of whether the person holds a Medicare card.
Refugees and asylum seekers
Specified vaccines are funded for all ages, regardless of whether the person holds a Medicare card.
- National Immunisation Program Schedule
- Catch-up immunisations for refugees and humanitarian entrants
- Catch up vaccinations for refugees and asylum seekers in Victoria - information in eight community languages - Health Translations.
