Influenza is a common disease of the respiratory tract. It affects people of all ages.

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone ≥6 months of age.

Influenza vaccination is funded through the National Immunisation Program for:

• children aged 6 months to <5 years

• adults aged ≥65 years

• pregnant women

• people with medical conditions that increase their risk of severe influenza

Influenza vaccination is also particularly recommended for healthcare and childcare workers and people who are travelling during influenza season.

Enquire with our staff about price and availability of this vaccine.

Meningococcal B is a bacterial infection caused by the meningococcal B bacteria that can spread from person-to-person through close, prolonged or intimate contact.

Meningococcal B vaccine is not funded through the National Immunisation Program but is recommended for all infants and children under 2 years old.

For children under 1, a 3-dose vaccine schedule is recommended. Enquire with our staff about cost and availability of this vaccine.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes upper and lower respiratory tract infection. RSV infection can cause severe disease, particularly in very young and older people.

RSV vaccination is recommended for:

• all people aged ≥75 years and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged ≥60 years

• people with medical risk factors for severe RSV disease aged ≥60 years

• pregnant women to protect their newborn infant.

RSV vaccination is not funded through the National Immunisation Program. Enquire with our staff about price and availability of this vaccine.

Pneumococcal disease can cause severe invasive disease, including meningitis, pneumonia and bacteraemia.

Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for and funded through the National Immunisation Program for:

• infants and children aged <5 years

• non-Indigenous adults aged ≥70 years

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged ≥50 years

• children, adolescents and adults with risk conditions for pneumococcal disease

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, occurs when the chickenpox virus reactivates. It can result in a painful, blistering rash and may cause persistent nerve pain that can last for months. In some cases, it can lead to severe complications, such as pneumonia, hearing loss, blindness, and brain inflammation.

A 2-dose course of shingles vaccine is recommended for and funded through the National Immunisation Program for:

• people aged ≥65 years

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged ≥50 years

• ≥18 years considered at increased risk of herpes zoster due to an underlying condition and/or immunomodulatory/ immunosuppressive treatments.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. It spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, releasing the bacteria into the air, which others can then inhale. The bacteria affect the lungs and airways, leading to severe, uncontrollable coughing that makes it difficult to breathe.

Whooping cough is a serious condition, as it can result in complications such as pneumonia, brain damage, and, in some cases, death.

Whooping cough vaccine is recommended for and funded through the National Immunisation Program for:

• children aged 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months and 4 years

• adolescents aged 12-13 years through school-based vaccination programs

• pregnant women (ideally between 20-32 weeks)

*The whooping cough vaccine is administered as part of a combination vaccine that also provides protection against other diseases, including diphtheria and tetanus.

HPV is a widespread virus transmitted through sexual contact. While many HPV infections are harmless, some can lead to serious health issues, including cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and certain head and neck cancers. However, not all HPV infections result in cancer.

Vaccination helps protect against the types of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer or genital warts.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends HPV vaccination for specific groups including:

• younger people aged 9 to 25

• people with significant immunocompromising conditions

• men who have sex with men.

HPV vaccine is funded through the National Immunisation Program for:

• young people aged approximately 12 to 13 (primarily provided through school immunisation programs)

*Adolescents who missed the HPV vaccination at 12 to 13 years of age can catch up for free up to age 26.