Written by the Priceline Pharmacy Pacific Fair team. Reviewed by Jason Markey, BPharmSci, MPharm, Owner and Pharmacist, Ahpra registration PHA0001976405.
General health information from a registered pharmacist. It doesn’t replace advice from your own pharmacist or doctor. How we write and check our articles.
Most uni students should check three things: whether they’re protected against meningococcal disease (especially if they’re living in a residential college), whether they’ve missed any catch-up vaccines that are free while they’re young, and, for nursing, medicine and other health students, the vaccines Queensland Health requires before clinical placements. Start early. Griffith University warns that some vaccine schedules and health tests can take up to seven months to complete.
Our pharmacist immunisers at Priceline Pharmacy Pacific Fair can give most of the vaccines below, and if a vaccine is free for you, we give it completely free. Walk in or book a time. See vaccinations at Pacific Fair.
Moving into a residential college or student housing?
Teenagers and young adults are the most likely to carry the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease, and living in close quarters helps it spread. The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends that people aged 15 to 24 who live in close quarters, which includes students in residential accommodation, have:
- 1 dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine; and
- 2 doses of meningococcal B vaccine, 8 weeks apart.
The same advice applies to current smokers aged 15 to 24. The Handbook singles out first-year students in residential colleges as being at higher risk.
Are they free?
| Vaccine | Free for | Otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| Meningococcal ACWY | Everyone up to and including age 19 who missed the Year 10 school dose | Private fee from age 20, unless a medical condition makes you eligible |
| Meningococcal B | Queensland residents aged 15 to under 20 (a Queensland Government program) | Private fee from age 20, unless a medical condition makes you eligible |
If you start the meningococcal B course before you turn 20, your second dose is still free after your birthday. The Queensland program isn’t linked to Medicare, but it’s only for Queensland residents.
Meningococcal disease is rare, but it can become serious very quickly. If someone has a fever and becomes very unwell, especially with a rash, get medical help straight away or call 000.
Studying nursing, medicine or another health degree?
Before you start clinical placements in Queensland Health facilities, you’ll need to show you’re protected against measles, mumps and rubella, chickenpox (varicella), whooping cough (pertussis) and hepatitis B. You’ll also complete a tuberculosis (TB) risk questionnaire. If your evidence isn’t in order, you may not be able to start your placement.
| Requirement | What counts as evidence (Queensland Health) |
|---|---|
| Measles, mumps and rubella | 2 doses of MMR vaccine at least 4 weeks apart, a blood test showing immunity, or being born before 1966 |
| Chickenpox | 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart (one childhood dose isn’t enough), a blood test showing immunity, or a letter from a doctor who diagnosed you with chickenpox or shingles |
| Whooping cough | 1 dose of a whooping cough vaccine in the past 10 years (a blood test doesn’t count) |
| Hepatitis B | A full course of hepatitis B vaccine, a blood test showing immunity, or a doctor’s letter |
Evidence can be your Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register, a vaccination record book or card, or a letter from your doctor or vaccination provider.
What if I’m not finished in time?
Queensland Health’s minimum before you start is at least 1 dose each of MMR and chickenpox vaccine (second doses due within 3 months of starting), 1 whooping cough vaccine, and at least 2 doses of hepatitis B vaccine (third dose within 6 months of starting). Your uni may set firmer deadlines. Griffith, for example, asks students to submit everything by the end of their first trimester.
Extra requirements from your uni or placement
- Hepatitis B blood test. Many programs, including Griffith’s, also want a blood test showing you’re immune, taken a few weeks after your last dose. This needs a request from a GP.
- Flu vaccine. It may be required for aged care placements, and some programs need it every year. Bond University asks its health students to be vaccinated by 1 June each year.
- Other vaccines. Some higher-risk roles need extra vaccines, such as hepatitis A or Japanese encephalitis.
Check your program’s placement hub for the exact list, as requirements vary between degrees.
How long does it take?
Hepatitis B is usually the slowest part. The standard course is 3 doses over 6 months, although faster schedules are possible. If your uni also wants a blood test afterwards, allow time for that too. MMR and chickenpox vaccines need at least 4 weeks between doses. If you need a TB skin test, Griffith advises leaving 4 weeks after an MMR or chickenpox vaccine, so plan the order with your GP.
The best time to start is in your first weeks of uni, or before semester begins.
Where do blood tests fit in?
Our pharmacists can give the vaccines, but blood tests to check your immunity need a request from a doctor. The GPs at Help Medical, an independent general practice located inside our store, can arrange them, and there’s a QML Pathology collection room inside Help Medical. You could have a blood test and a vaccine in the same trip to Pacific Fair.
Catch-up vaccines that are free while you’re young
If you missed vaccines at school, these are worth checking while they’re still free:
- Most childhood vaccines are free as catch-ups for people under 20 with a Medicare card, including measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis B, chickenpox and polio (we don’t give polio vaccines, but a GP can). Start before 20 and you can finish the course free.
- HPV vaccine is free for people under 26 who missed it at school. Most people need just one dose.
- Measles, mumps and rubella is also free in Queensland for anyone born in or after 1966 without records of 2 doses.
- Flu vaccine is recommended every year for everyone aged 6 months and over. It’s free for some groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people with certain medical conditions. Otherwise there’s a private fee.
Not sure what you’ve had? Download your Immunisation History Statement from your Medicare online account through myGov or the Medicare app, or ask us to look it up with you.
International students
Free vaccines under the National Immunisation Program need Medicare eligibility, so most international students on Overseas Student Health Cover pay a private fee. Some students from countries with a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia may be eligible for Medicare. Check with Services Australia.
Queensland’s meningococcal B program isn’t linked to Medicare, but it’s for Queensland residents. Ask us and we’ll check whether you can have it free.
Bring your vaccination records from home, translated into English if needed. A recognised vaccination provider can add overseas vaccines to the Australian Immunisation Register, which helps when your uni asks for evidence.
When to see a pharmacist or GP
Talk to your pharmacist if you’re not sure what’s due, or if you’d like to start your placement vaccines this week. We can check your immunisation history and walk you through what to have first.
See a GP if you need blood tests to check your immunity, a TB test, or a medical exemption, or if you’re pregnant or have a weakened immune system. In an emergency, call 000.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my placement vaccines at a pharmacy?
Yes. Our pharmacists can give the MMR, chickenpox, whooping cough, hepatitis B and flu vaccines that most health placements ask for. Blood tests to prove immunity need a GP’s request.
How long does the hepatitis B course take?
The standard course is 3 doses at 0, 1 and 6 months. Your uni may also want a blood test a few weeks after the last dose. Some faster schedules exist, but check your program accepts them before you start one.
I can’t find my childhood vaccine records. What should I do?
Start with your Immunisation History Statement in myGov or the Medicare app. If something isn’t recorded, a GP can advise whether to have a blood test or simply have the vaccine again.
Is the meningococcal B vaccine free when I turn 20?
Not if you’re starting the course at 20 or over, unless a medical condition makes you eligible. But if you have your first dose before you turn 20, the second dose is still free.
Do I need a COVID-19 vaccine for uni?
Queensland Health doesn’t list COVID-19 vaccination as a placement requirement, but some programs do: Bond University asks for at least one dose, and some aged care placements may want more. Most healthy adults aged 18 to 64 can choose to pay for a dose each year.
Starting uni or heading out on placement soon? Walk in to Pacific Fair, or book a vaccination and bring your immunisation history.
Sources
- Australian Immunisation Handbook – Meningococcal disease
- Australian Immunisation Handbook – Hepatitis B
- Queensland Health – Preparing for your clinical placement
- Queensland Health – Vaccination of workers in healthcare settings: acceptable evidence (Appendix 2)
- Queensland Health – Vaccination of workers in healthcare settings: minimum requirements before starting (Appendix 3)
- Queensland Health – Queensland Meningococcal B Vaccination Program
- Griffith University – Health Placement Support Hub: frequently asked questions
- Services Australia – Getting your overseas immunisations recorded
This article is general information only and isn’t a substitute for personal advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist or you’re worried, talk to your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.
Book your vaccination at Pacific Fair
Walk in any day we’re open, or book a time online so you don’t have to wait. We’re on the ground floor of Pacific Fair (Pac Fair), Broadbeach, open 7 days and until 9pm on Thursdays. Park in the Orange car park, directly under us. Gate 7 is the closest entry, and the first 4 hours are free.