Immunisations & Vaccinations Taree

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) funds vaccines across the lifespan for eligible people with a Medicare card. For children, it covers the full childhood schedule — protecting against diseases including whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, rotavirus and chickenpox — plus the HPV vaccine delivered through school programs in adolescence.

For adults, free vaccines include the annual flu vaccine for those aged 65 and over, pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, children aged six months to under five years and people with certain medical conditions; the shingles vaccine (Shingrix) from age 65, or from 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and 18 for the severely immunocompromised; pneumococcal vaccination from 70; and whooping cough vaccination during each pregnancy. Catch-up vaccines are free for anyone under 20. Vaccines outside these categories — such as flu vaccines for healthy working-age adults or most travel vaccines — carry a private cost, though it's typically modest.

Adult immunisation runs on two tracks: keeping old protection current and adding age-based vaccines as they become due. On the first track, a tetanus-diphtheria-whooping cough booster is recommended every ten years (commonly given at 50 and again at 65 if lapsed), and adults born during the 1966 to 1994 window should confirm they've had two doses of measles vaccine, as many from that era received only one. Whooping cough boosters are specifically recommended during every pregnancy and for anyone spending time around newborns.

On the second track, annual flu vaccination is recommended for all adults and funded from 65, shingles vaccination is recommended and funded from 65 and pneumococcal vaccination from 70. Adults with specific medical conditions — diabetes, heart or lung disease, weakened immunity — may qualify for additional funded vaccines at younger ages. The simplest way to know where you stand is a vaccination review with a GP, who can check the Australian Immunisation Register and your history in one appointment.

Yes — Australian health authorities confirm flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be safely given at the same visit, usually one in each arm. Studies show co-administration doesn't meaningfully reduce the effectiveness of either vaccine, and side effects remain similar to receiving them separately, perhaps with slightly more short-lived soreness or fatigue. For most people, combining them into a single appointment is a practical win: one visit, one observation period, both protections updated before winter.

The same generally applies to other vaccine combinations — most vaccines can be co-administered, which is how childhood schedules deliver several protections per visit. Timing the flu vaccine itself is worth a thought: immunity peaks in the months after vaccination, so mid-autumn (April to May) suits most people, ahead of the usual winter flu season. Annual vaccination matters because circulating flu strains change year to year and the vaccine is updated to match.