Hepatitis A vaccination program - common questions & answers for providers
State and Territory information:
Questions and answers about eligibility and age groups, the General Practice Immunisation Incentives (GPII) Scheme and the ‘catch-up’ program for hepatitis A vaccine.
Who is eligible for free hepatitis A vaccine?
Why has the vaccine been introduced to the National Immunisation Program?
How many doses of vaccine are required to fully immunise a child against hepatitis A?
At what age should hepatitis A vaccine be given to eligible children?
Do these changes to the National Immunisation Program affect payments under the General Practice Immunisation Incentives (GPII) Scheme?
Should hepatitis A vaccinations be reported to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register?
More information
Who is eligible for free hepatitis A vaccine?
All Indigenous children aged under five years living in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.This program will be administered as an ongoing program and a 'catch-up' program. Children aged under two years will receive the vaccine as part of the ongoing program and children aged two to five years will receive the vaccine as part of the 'catch-up' program, which will finish in 2007.
As a hepatitis A vaccination program has been running in North Queensland since 1999, most children over two years of age have been immunised against hepatitis A in this region. Therefore, it is not necessary for children over two years old in this region to be provided with the free vaccine.
Why has the vaccine been introduced to the National Immunisation Program?
Hepatitis A caused the deaths of six Indigenous children in north Queensland and Western Australia in recent years. A vaccination program in north Queensland has been successful in reducing the risk of hepatitis A in Indigenous communities.How many doses of vaccine are required to fully immunise a child against hepatitis A?
Eligible children will require two doses of hepatitis A vaccine to be fully immunised against hepatitis A. The first dose should be given after 12 months of age, while the second dose should be given six (6) months after the first dose.At what age should hepatitis A vaccine be given to eligible children?
This varies depending on which State or Territory you work in. Contact your State or Territory Health Department for more details.Do these changes to the National Immunisation Program affect payments under the General Practice Immunisation Incentives (GPII) Scheme?
No. This change to the National Immunisation Program Schedule (NIPS) does not affect payments under the General Practice Immunisation Incentives (GPII) Scheme (Medicare Australia).Should hepatitis A vaccinations be reported to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)?
Yes. All vaccines administered to children less than seven years of age should be notified to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) (Medicare Australia) in order to maintain a complete immunisation history for the child on the register.More information
Information about the General Practice Immunisation Incentives (GPII) Scheme is available on the Medicare Australia website, or phone 1800 246 101 (free call - 24 hours).Information about the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) is available on the Medicare Australia website or phone 1800 653 809 (free call).
For technical information refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook 9th Edition 2008 (NHMRC).
Page last modified: 08 April, 2008