RSV vaccine available for eligible pregnant women under the NIP in 2025
In 2025, eligible pregnant women will be able to receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). The RSV vaccine is recommended for women at 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy and it protects their newborn child from RSV.

Patients are eligible for a free NIP vaccine if they have or are eligible for a Medicare card. The start of the program will be announced soon. Read more here.

New COVID-19 vaccines
New COVID-19 vaccines have been included in the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program as of 9 December.

The new JN.1 COVID-19 vaccines target a more recent variant of COVID-19.

A COVID-19 booster is recommended for older adults and people with certain medical
conditions who have an increased risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19. This
includes:

  • Adults 75 years and over every 6 months.
  • Adults 65 to 74 years every 12 months but can consider booster doses every 6
    months.
  • Adults 65 years and older with compromised immunity every 6 months.
  • Adults 18–64 years without severe immunocompromise can consider booster doses every 12 months based on a risk–benefit assessment, such as the presence of other medical conditions that may increase the risk of severe COVID-19.

New childhood immunisation resources for parents
Adjunct Professor Alison McMillan, the Australian Government's Chief Nursing and
Midwifery Officer, answers common questions from parents and carers about childhood
immunisation in a new video series.

Shingles Vaccination Resources
A 2-dose course of Shingrix® is available for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for:

  • people aged 65 and over
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and over
  • immunocompromised people aged 18 and over with eligible medical conditions.

It’s important to remind patients that vaccination is the safest and most effective way to
protect against shingles.

Resources are available to help health professionals have informative, culturally appropriate and supportive conversations about shingles vaccinations with their eligible patients.