Pneumococcal vaccination for all Australians

Pneumococcal disease is a rare but serious condition that can cause significant illness, disability and death.

Universal childhood schedule: all children should receive 3 doses of 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV).

• dose 1 at age 2 months,
• dose 2 at age 4 months and
• dose 3 at age 12 months.

At-risk children 12 months or under: all children with risk conditions, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, should receive 4 doses of 20vPCV.

• dose 1 at age 2 months,
• dose 2 at age 4 months,
• dose 3 at age 6 months and
• dose 4 at age 12 months.

Children and adolescents aged over 12 months to 18 years diagnosed with a risk condition should receive a single dose of 20vPCV at diagnosis.

At-risk adults: adults aged over 18 years diagnosed with a risk condition, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 25 years or over, and non-Indigenous adults aged 65 years or over should receive a single dose of 21-valent PCV. People with a risk conditions should receive the dose at diagnosis.

These vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program. See the Australian Immunisation Handbook for the list of specified risk conditions that are eligible to receive free pneumococcal vaccines.

See the Australian Immunisation Handbook for more details.