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Your Baby’s First Vaccines: An Australian Guide

Table of Contents

Your Baby’s First Vaccines: An Australian Guide

Babys First Vaccines

Table of Contents

Your baby’s first vaccinations begin building protection against infections that can be serious in early life. The Australian schedule starts at birth and continues through childhood. Your vaccination provider can explain what is due, check your baby’s health and answer questions before you give consent.

What is offered at birth?

Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for newborns as soon as they are medically stable, preferably within 24 hours of birth and within the first 7 days. It is usually offered in hospital. If it has not been given, contact your maternity team promptly to discuss the plan.

If the birth parent has hepatitis B, the baby needs a specific time-sensitive prevention and follow-up plan, which includes hepatitis B immunoglobulin as well as vaccination. Discuss this with the maternity team before birth where possible; do not wait for the first routine GP appointment.

Vitamin K is also offered after birth to help prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding. It is a separate preventive treatment, not a vaccine. Ask the maternity team to explain each treatment and record what your baby receives.

The first routine infant appointment

Under the National Immunisation Program schedule current from October 2026, vaccines scheduled at 2 months can be given from 6 weeks of age. They cover diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pneumococcal disease and rotavirus. Several are combined in one injection; rotavirus vaccine is given by mouth.

The birth hepatitis B dose does not replace the later infant course. Further scheduled visits include 4 and 6 months, but not every vaccine is given at every visit. Use the current national and state or territory schedules with your provider rather than an old printed checklist.

Additional vaccines or doses apply to some babies, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and those with medical risk conditions. State and territory programs can fund additional protection. Rotavirus vaccination has upper age limits, so contact the provider promptly if an appointment is missed rather than simply moving it several months later.

What about RSV protection?

Protection against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, may involve vaccination during pregnancy and, for eligible babies, a long-acting antibody medicine. The infant antibody treatment is not a vaccine. Eligibility depends on factors such as maternal vaccination, timing, the baby’s health and the local program. Ask your maternity team or GP what applies to your baby.

RSV protection does not replace the routine infant vaccination schedule.

Before and during the appointment

Bring your baby’s health record and tell the provider about previous reactions, allergies, current illness, medicines and any immune-system condition. Let them know if your baby was born early or received care in a neonatal unit. They will check which vaccines and timing are appropriate.

Ask which infections the vaccines protect against, the expected side effects, uncommon serious risks and what to do afterwards. Consent should follow a clear explanation, with time for your questions. If language is a barrier, ask for an interpreter.

Holding or feeding your baby can help comfort them; ask the provider what will work during the vaccination. Stay for at least 15 minutes afterwards, or longer if advised, so staff can respond to an immediate reaction.

Side effects and when to get help

Some babies have soreness at the injection site, irritability or a mild fever. Ask for written advice for the particular vaccines given. Do not assume every symptom afterwards is caused by vaccination. A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher needs urgent medical assessment, even after vaccines.

Do not give fever or pain medicine in advance unless your provider recommends it. Some vaccines, particularly meningococcal B in young children, have specific paracetamol advice. Ask for the correct product and instructions for your baby rather than using an adult dose or guessing.

Rotavirus vaccine carries a small increased risk of intussusception, a bowel problem. Episodes of severe distress or abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, unusual lethargy or blood in the poo need urgent hospital assessment. Ask your provider about the signs; do not wait for all of them to appear.

Call 000 for trouble breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, collapse, a seizure or a baby who is unresponsive. These symptoms need emergency care regardless of whether a vaccine was recently given.

Records, costs and the next visit

Check that vaccinations are recorded in the Australian Immunisation Register and your baby’s health record, and book the next appointment. You can access an immunisation history statement through Services Australia; ask the provider to correct missing information.

NIP vaccines are free for eligible people, but a consultation fee may still apply. Ask the practice about fees when booking and about local options if access or cost is a problem.

When your baby needs urgent care

In Australia, call 000 if your baby is struggling to breathe, has blue or grey lips, is unresponsive or very difficult to wake, collapses or has a seizure.

A baby younger than 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher needs urgent medical assessment. For a newborn, go to a hospital emergency department; for an older baby under 3 months, go to emergency if you cannot obtain prompt medical care. Do not wait to see whether fever medicine works. A newborn can also be seriously unwell without a fever.

Seek urgent medical care for green vomit, markedly reduced feeding, unusual floppiness or sleepiness, substantially fewer wet nappies or a rapidly worsening condition. If you think something is wrong, get help rather than waiting for a routine appointment or test result.

This is general information for Australian readers, not a diagnosis or a personalised care plan.

Sources and further reading