Immunisation update: Changes to adult pneumococcal vaccination and AIR due/overdue rules
Updates have been made to the:
adult pneumococcal vaccination schedule
the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) due/overdue rules for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.
Read on for key information regarding these changes, and helpful resources to support vaccine providers.
Changes to the adult pneumococcal vaccination schedule
Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for infants and children, First Nations adults aged 25 years and older, adults aged 65 years and older, and people with certain medical conditions.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now recognised as one of the medical conditions that makes a patient eligible for a government-funded pneumococcal vaccine under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
Some medical conditions increase the likelihood of severe pneumococcal disease. This table lists the medical conditions for which ATAGI recommends patients receive pneumococcal vaccination. The table also indicates if the patient may be eligible for a free vaccine through the National Immunisation Program (NIP) i.e., if the vaccine is NIP-funded or not.
Patients with non-funded conditions may still be recommended to have the vaccine, but they may need to pay for it themselves.
Watch the full webinar recording on changes to pneumococcal vaccination
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) brought together a panel of experts to explain the changes to the pneumococcal vaccination schedule and provides practical advice for vaccine providers in their webinar.
More helpful vaccination guidance for vaccine providers
Find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about pneumococcal vaccines via the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS).
Updates made to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) ‘due’ and ‘overdue’ rules for pneumococcal influenza
The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is a national register that records vaccinations given to all people in Australia.
General practices can access AIR through their practice management software or via Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) to:
check a patient's immunisation history
identify patients who are overdue for vaccines
record vaccinations or update patient vaccination records
record eligible medical contraindications.
Changes have been made to AIR’s ‘due’ and ‘overdue’ rules for vaccination against pneumococcal and influenza.
New AIR 'due' and 'overdue' rules for pneumococcal
AIR’s ‘due’ and ‘overdue’ rules for pneumococcal have been updated to align with the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule for First Nations children.
The changes only apply to First Nations children who turn 6 months of age from 28 April 2026.
New AIR 'due' and 'overdue' rules for influenza
The AIR has also introduced annual ‘due’ and ‘overdue’ rules for influenza vaccines that will identify patients who are eligible for NIP-funded influenza vaccines.
AIR will issue reminder letters to eligible people who become overdue for an influenza vaccination.
See the full summary of these rule changes on the NCIRS website.
Useful links for health professionals
Pneumococcal vaccines GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) resources – Pneumococcal vaccines GRADE assessments
A tool developed to assist GPs, medical specialists and other immunisation providers to comply with pneumococcal disease vaccination recommendations in the online Australian Immunisation Handbook – PneumoSmart vaccination tool
View the updated AIR national due and overdue rules for immunisations from Services Australia.
Resources for your patients
Information on what to do and what to expect after vaccinations – Following vaccination – what to expect and what to do.
Information for patents and carers that outlines recommended vaccines for children from birth to age 4 – Childhood immunisation schedule