Other vaccines

Key facts

  • The vaccines children receive at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 4 years are part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP), and are free.

  • You can also ask your doctor or nurse if they would recommend any ‘non-scheduled’ or ‘optional’ vaccines for your child. These may not be free and can be purchased privately with a prescription from your immunisation provider or general practitioner.

  • Some states and territories offer non-scheduled vaccines for free.  

Last updated on 6 August 2025.

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Non-scheduled or optional vaccines

The vaccinations children receive at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 4 years are all part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP). They are given to all children free of charge by the Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care.

You can also ask your doctor or nurse if they would recommend any ‘non-scheduled’ or ‘optional’ vaccines for your child. Vaccines that are not part of the NIP Schedule are usually not free. However, you can purchase them privately with a prescription from your immunisation provider or general practitioner.

Additional vaccines may be needed if your family is travelling overseas. For children, this could include the Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever, cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, rabies and COVID-19 vaccines.

State and territory immunisation information

Some states and territories make certain optional vaccines available to families, free of charge. For eligible children, these vaccines can include:

An RSV immunisation product for babies is available through state and territory programs. The product is a monoclonal antibody called Beyfortus (nivsevimab). It contains ready-made antibodies that help babies and young children fight off a potential RSV infection and prevent severe RSV disease. 

Babies are eligible to receive this immunisation product if they: 

  • were born to mother who did not receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy
  • were born within two weeks of their mother receiving the maternal RSV vaccine
  • have a condition that increases their risk of severe RSV disease. 

For more information, see State and territory nivsevimab (Beyfortus) infant program summary 2025 [PDF] and NCIRS’ RSV FAQs resource.

All babies and children under 2 years of age are recommended a vaccine that protects them from strain B of the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease.

This vaccine is available for free for babies and children who live in South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. If you live in another state or territory, you may have to pay for both the vaccine and your clinic visit.

For babies and children to be fully protected against meningococcal B, they need to have more than one vaccine dose. The number of doses needed (either 2 or 3) depends on the age your baby or child is when they get their first vaccine for meningococcal B.

If you choose to vaccinate baby or child for meningococcal B, make an appointment with your immunisation provider. 

Eligibility criteria for young children to access the JE vaccine varies by state and territory. The immunisation providers who can administer the vaccine also varies and may include general practitioners, pharmacists and/or nurse immunisers.

Additional  vaccines may be available in your state or territory. Visit the immunisation information pages of your local state or territory health department for more information.