Botanic Ridge Doctors delivers the full Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule for children and adults — plus catch-up vaccines, COVID-19 boosters, shingles, pneumococcal, HPV, occupational vaccines and travel vaccines. NIP-listed vaccines are free for eligible patients, and our gentle nursing team makes every appointment as calm as possible.
Botanic Ridge Doctors is a bulk-billed family medical clinic with onsite Allied Health, located in Botanic Ridge Village. Our team includes experienced GPs, practice nurses, and a network of visiting specialists.
Standard GP consultations are bulk billed for all eligible Medicare patients. Walk-ins are accommodated where possible.
The National Immunisation Program (NIP) is funded by the Australian Government and provides free vaccines to protect against more than 17 vaccine-preventable diseases. As a registered NIP provider, Botanic Ridge Doctors delivers the entire schedule — from birth through to older adulthood.
| Age | Vaccines | Diseases protected against |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | Hepatitis B | Hepatitis B |
| 2 months | DTPa-Hib-HepB-IPV, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, MenB | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib, hep B, polio, pneumococcal, rotavirus, meningococcal B |
| 4 months | DTPa-Hib-HepB-IPV, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, MenB | As above |
| 6 months | DTPa-Hib-HepB-IPV, Influenza (in season) | As above + flu |
| 12 months | MMR, MenACWY, Pneumococcal, MenB | Measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal ACWY+B, pneumococcal |
| 18 months | DTPa, Hib, MMRV, Hepatitis A (ATSI) | As above + chickenpox |
| 4 years | DTPa-IPV | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio booster |
| School Year 7 | HPV (Gardasil 9), DTPa | HPV (9 strains), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis |
| School Year 10 | MenACWY booster | Meningococcal ACWY |
All free under NIP Children aged 6 months – 4 years receive free annual flu vaccines under the NIP. Children with chronic conditions (e.g. immunocompromise, asthma requiring regular preventer) also qualify for the free flu vaccine — see our Flu Vaccine page or the NIP schedule.
Adult immunity wanes over time. These are the vaccines we routinely review during health checks:
Two doses, 2-6 months apart. Protects against shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia. Free under NIP for ages 65+, and immunocompromised adults 18+.
Single dose for adults 70+. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander adults eligible from 50+.
Recommended every 10 years, or if you have a tetanus-prone wound. Bring it forward in pregnancy as part of the whooping cough booster.
Free to age 25 if missed at school. Available privately to age 45 (women) and 26 (men).
Check immunity before pregnancy. Free catch-up for adults born after 1966 without 2 documented MMR doses.
Risk-based vaccination — healthcare workers, travel, sexual exposure, IV drug use, chronic liver disease.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory infection that, in older adults and infants, can cause serious illness including bronchiolitis, pneumonia and hospitalisation. From 2025, the Australian Government has added RSV vaccines to the National Immunisation Program for two groups at highest risk — and at Botanic Ridge Doctors, these are free with a Medicare card.
Arexvy is the funded RSV vaccine for older adults. A single dose provides protection across multiple RSV seasons. Recommended for everyone aged 75 years and over, and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander adults from age 60.
Adults 65–74 with chronic heart, lung, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or immunocompromise may also benefit — talk to your GP. (Not funded for this group, but available privately.)
Abrysvo is given once during pregnancy between 28 and 36 weeks. Antibodies cross the placenta and protect your baby against severe RSV illness for the first 6 months of life — the highest-risk window for infant RSV hospitalisation.
Can be given alongside whooping cough (dTpa) and flu vaccines at the same antenatal visit.
For babies whose mothers did not receive the pregnancy RSV vaccine — or who were born outside the protection window — a monoclonal antibody (nirsevimab/Beyfortus) is funded through state-based newborn programs. Speak to your maternal & child health nurse, or ask us at your 6-week check-up.
The RSV vaccine is given as a single intramuscular injection. Common side effects are mild — tenderness at the injection site, tiredness, headache or a low-grade fever for 24–48 hours. Severe reactions are rare. As with all vaccinations, we'll observe you for 15 minutes after your dose.
Children and teenagers can receive free NIP catch-up vaccines until age 19. We can usually fit a child's full catch-up schedule into 2–3 visits over a few months.
Botanic Ridge Doctors is a registered COVID-19 vaccination provider. The current ATAGI recommendations support boosters every 12 months for adults 65+ and 6-monthly for adults 75+ or severely immunocompromised. Younger adults should consider a booster annually.
You can have your COVID-19 vaccine at the same appointment as your flu vaccine — different arms, no extra wait. All COVID-19 vaccines are free under the NIP.
Heading overseas? Book a travel medicine consultation 6–8 weeks before departure. We provide destination-specific advice. Patients are given a prescription by the GP to collect from a pharmacy, including Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A & B, typhoid, rabies pre-exposure, cholera and meningococcal ACWY. Yellow fever vaccination is not provided at our clinic.
Full Travel Medicine pageHealthcare worker, childcare worker, student about to start a placement? We provide the full occupational vaccine schedule including hepatitis B, MMR titres, varicella, Tdap and influenza, with appropriate certification for your employer or training provider.
Yes — most vaccines can be given at the same visit. We typically use different limbs and the immune system handles them safely.
Your full vaccination history is in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Access via myGov, or ask reception to print a current statement at your appointment.
We'll either source them from AIR or, if records are missing, do blood tests for immunity (titres) and recommend any catch-up needed. Catch-up under NIP is free up to age 19.
The standard nurse/GP consultation is bulk billed. NIP vaccines are free. Non-NIP vaccines (some travel vaccines, private adult shingles, Gardasil over age 25) attract a private fee for the vaccine itself.
Bulk-billed consultations for eligible Medicare patients. Some procedures may attract a private fee — please contact reception to confirm costs at booking. Open 7 days, walk-ins accommodated where possible.
Important: The information on this page is general health information only. It is not a substitute for personalised medical advice from a qualified health practitioner. Outcomes vary between individuals — your GP will assess your specific situation and recommend the right approach for you. If you have urgent symptoms, please call 000 or attend your nearest emergency department.
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