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Table. Recommendations for non-live vaccine administration in people who are immunocompromised due to immunosuppressive therapies

Vaccine	Recommendation	Comments
COVID-19	People who are severely immunocompromised due to receiving certain immunosuppressive therapies (such as B-cell depleting biological therapies, high-dose corticosteroids and some conventional immunosuppressants): a 2-dose primary schedule, and a 3rd dose can be considered. An additional dose or ongoing doses every 6–12 months, based on individual risk–benefit assessment (see comments).	Additional doses may be needed based on age, degree of immunocompromise and presence of other risk factors for severe illness from COVID-19.
Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis- and polio-containing vaccines^a,b	Complete routine primary schedule or catch up for missed doses before starting the immunosuppressive therapies.	–
Haemophilus influenzae type b^a,b	Complete routine primary schedule or catch up for missed doses before starting the immunosuppressive therapies.	–
Hepatitis B^a,b	1 booster dose for seronegative people with specific at risk conditions	–
Human papillomavirus	Aged ≥9 years: a 3-dose primary schedule	Vaccination may also be considered in younger people who are immunocompromised if there is risk of exposure to HPV
Influenza	1 dose annually	Use age-appropriate vaccine option Children aged 6 months to 9 years should receive 2 doses (4 weeks apart) if receiving influenza vaccine for the first time, then 1 dose every year after that.
Japanese encephalitis (inactivated)	Use if indicated	See also Vaccination for international travellers.
Meningococcal	For people with acquired complement deficiency due to complement inhibitor: A complete age-appropriate primary course and booster doses of MenACWY vaccine are recommended. A complete age-appropriate primary course and a single booster dose of MenB vaccine are recommended.	The number of doses depends on the vaccine brand and the person’s age when they start the vaccine course. See Table. Recommendations for MenACWY vaccine for people with a specified medical condition that increases their risk of invasive meningococcal disease and Table. Recommendations for MenB vaccine for people with a specified medical condition that increases their risk of invasive meningococcal disease
Mpox (live, non-replicating)	Use if indicated or seek specialist advice on individual risks and benefits of vaccination	–
Pneumococcal(conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines)	Routine age-appropriate primary course and following additional doses are recommended: 1 additional dose of PCV at least 2 months after any previous doses of PCV 1 dose of PPV 2–12 months after the last dose of PCV a 2nd dose of PPV 5 years later	If a person receives 21vPCV as their PCV dose, subsequent doses of 23vPPV are not required. If the person has previously received a dose of PPV, the PCV dose should be given at least 12 months after the last PPV dose. For children who have not received a full routine infant course of pneumococcal vaccination, see Table for the catch-up schedule for children with medical conditions associated with an increased risk of pneumococcal disease aged <5 years.
Rabies	Use if indicate	See also Travellers who are immunocompromised.
Immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus^a	Adults ≥60 years: 1 primary dose of RSV vaccine At-risk neonates and infants aged <24 months: 1 primary dose of RSV-specific monoclonal antibody	–
Zoster (herpes zoster, recombinant)	Aged ≥18 years if immunocompromised: a 2-dose primary schedule	–
Acronyms used: – = none HPV = human papillomavirus MenACWY = meningococcal ACWY MenB = meningococcal B PCV = pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PPV = pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine RSV = respiratory syncytial virus Footnotes: ^a Recommended but not funded under the National Immunisation Program ^b May be given as combined vaccines

Page history

Last updated

2 May 2025

Last reviewed

2 May 2025

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