Vaccines are the best protection of serious illness and hospitalisation in older people.
From 1 November 2025, the new Aged Care Act strengthened the requirement for residential aged care providers to provide access to recommended vaccinations for their residents. This includes vaccines such as influenza, COVID-19, shingles and pneumococcal.
The National Immunisation Program schedule outlines which vaccines an individual is eligible to receive for free and when.
As we approach the festive season, it’s important to make sure aged care residents and workers keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination, as cases normally increase over this period.
COVID-19 vaccines are free and recommended:
- every 6 months for people aged 75 and over.
- every 12 months for people aged 65 to 74.
- every 12 months for adults who are severely immunocompromised.
- Although the Australian Government is not mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for workers, aged care workers 18 years of age or older are encouraged to get a COVID-19 vaccination every 12 months.
Aged care providers are responsible for:
- timely access to recommended vaccines for residents and workers, in line with the National Immunisation Program Schedule.
- integrating vaccination planning into routine clinical care.
- maintaining accurate records of vaccination status, consent, and exemptions.
- upholding robust infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.
- promoting the benefits of vaccines for residents and workers.
Key actions:
Facility and clinical managers can apply for access to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to:
- track who is due or overdue for vaccination.
- ensure accurate reporting of a person’s vaccination status.
Relevant eLearning modules include:
- How to register as a recognised provider on the AIR (RCFs will need to do this to access the AIR)
- Register an organisation in PRODA to access the AIR (RCFs will need to register as an organisation in PRODA also)
- Accessing the AIR
- Logging into the AIR site using HPOS (this is how an RCF would log into the AIR)
Infographics include:
- Submitting information to the AIR Site
- How to correctly identify an individual on the AIR
- Check the accuracy of your encounter details before sending to the AIR
Organise access to GPs, pharmacists or accredited immunisers for vaccinations
- Arrange consent early
- Book clinics well in advance
- If needed, contact your Primary Health Network (PHN) for support.
For further information about the new Aged Care Act, please refer to the department’s website.