Immunisation services

The Immunisation Team provide all vaccines as per the National Immunisation Program. Age limits and restrictions apply:

• 6 week immunisations cannot be given even one day early
• 4 and 6 month immunisations must have an 8 week gap between them
• Rotavirus course must be completed by 24 weeks and 6 days
• 12 month immunisations are recommended at 12 months of age
• 4 year old vaccinations are recommended on birthday or after 4th birthday.

If you attend an immunisation session when you or your child is not at the correct age, you or your child may be unable to be immunised.

Book into a public immunisation session

My child was immunised overseas

If your child has received immunisations overseas, you will need to arrange for those records to be put onto the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) so your child’s immunisation status is kept up to date.

For more information see Missed vaccinations and immunisation catch-up advice.

My child has missed vaccinations

Please contact Council’s Community Health team prior to booking an immunisation session if your child has missed vaccinations and requires a catch-up schedule.

Our team of nurses are highly skilled and can create a catch-up immunisation plan for you or your child. For more information see Missed vaccinations and immunisation catch-up advice.

The Immunisation Team visits all secondary schools within Maroondah to deliver the Year 7 and 10 immunisation program. For more information see School and adolescent immunisations.

School immunisation consent

Parents/guardians will receive a link from their child's school to the online portal (Vitavo). Please submit your authorisation on the portal 7 days prior to the scheduled school immunisation day. Selecting 'I do not consent' indicates that parents/guardians have reviewed the information and opted for their child not to receive the vaccine(s).

Missed vaccinations

If you have missed your adolescent vaccination or the vaccinations held at school, you can book an appointment at a public immunisation session to have the missed vaccines. You may also wish to visit your GP.

The NIP eligibility age for this catch-up/missed vaccination has increased from 19 to 25 years of age. Most people who have had a single dose of HPV vaccine are now considered fully vaccinated and do not need to receive an additional dose. If immunocompromised, additional dose of HPV are required.

The following adults and seniors vaccines are recommended under the National Immunisation Program and can be administered for free at any of council’s Public Immunisation Sessions.

Book into a public immunisation session

Shingles

Seniors aged 70 to 79 years are eligible to receive the Shingles (herpes zoster) for free under the NIP. See your medical professional to receive this vaccine.

Mpox

Eligible people can receive Mpox Vaccine for free under the NIP. Visit the Department of Health website to find out if you are eligible. See your medical professional to receive this vaccine.

The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) keeps a record of vaccinations. They receive reports from all immunisation providers in Australia.

Visit Services Australia to access your Immunisation History Statement.

Free Victorian Government-funded catchup measles vaccine is available to all adults born on or after 1966 who are missing two doses of Measles, Mumps and Rubella or are unsure of immunity. This particularly applies to:

1. People born between 1992 and 1966 (i.e. aged 33 to 60 years), and
2. In addition to above, other adults aged < 33 years and born overseas

To receive your Measles vaccine, book through Council’s public immunisation sessions.

Council does not provide travel vaccinations or advice on travel vaccinations. If immunisations are required for travel purposes, please contact your GP or a special travel vaccination clinic up to 6 months before your travel departure.

If you or your child has received any travel vaccinations before you present to a public session for normal schedule immunisations, you must let the Immunisation Team know before you or your child is immunised. Some travel vaccinations can affect the time your normal schedule immunisations can be given.

Council provides vaccines funded for Victoria. For more information on the immunisation schedule in Victoria and vaccine eligibility visit the Department of Health website.

Getting the influenza vaccine is currently the most effective method to prevent the flu each year and provide protection against the most common strains of the virus.

More information regarding Influenza vaccine can be found on Department of Health website and Better Health Channel website.

Council provides free flu vaccines for eligible persons. If you are not eligible for the free flu vaccine, Council offers a payable flu vaccine. See fees and charges

Eligibility criteria for free flu vaccine

Influenza vaccine 2025 is free for eligible people under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) who are at higher risk of complications from influenza. This includes:

• People aged 6 months to less than 5 years (can be given at the same time as childhood vaccines)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and older
• Pregnant women (can be given at any stage of each pregnancy)
• People aged 65 years and older (a vaccine that is specifically designed to produce a higher immune response is available for this group)
• People aged 6 months and older with medical conditions putting them at increased risk of severe influenza and its complications

For further information on influenza vaccine eligibility please visit the Department of Health website.

Eligibility criteria applies to free funded Meningococcal B (Bexsero) vaccine. If you are not eligible for free Meningococcal B vaccine, Council offers this vaccine at a cost. Payment can only be made online when booking or by EFTPOS at the immunisation session. See fees and charges

For more information regarding Meningococcal B vaccination and eligibility for funded vaccine visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and Better Health Channel.

Bexsero vaccination advice

Bexsero can be safely given with other routine vaccines, including live vaccines.

Alternatively, children can receive Bexsero separately from other routine infant vaccines, with a minimum interval of 3 days from non-live vaccines, to minimise the risk of fever. In this case, we give routinely recommended vaccines first. If administering Bexsero separately from the 12 and 18 month vaccines, an interval of 2 weeks is recommended, as some of these vaccines are live and may cause a delayed fever 7-10 days post vaccination.

Children under 2 years of age are highly recommended to receive paracetamol with every dose of Bexsero, both before and after administration. Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre recommends children under 4 years of age receive paracetamol before and after every dose of Bexsero.

The 1st dose of paracetamol (15 mg/kg/dose) is recommended within 30 minutes before, or as soon as practicable after receiving the vaccine. This should be followed by 2 more doses of paracetamol given 4-6 hours apart, regardless of whether the child has a fever.

Council can provide vaccinations against the following diseases on a fee for service basis:

• Chicken pox
• Hepatitis B
• Whooping cough

Payment can only be made online when booking or by EFTPOS at the immunisation session. See fees and charges