Many parents are surprised by how much of their pre-baby planning is about who's around the baby, not the baby itself. Use this checklist as a starting point and confirm specifics with your antenatal team.
In pregnancy (the parent who is pregnant)
- Influenza in any trimester, free under the NIP.
- dTpa (whooping cough) between 20 and 32 weeks of every pregnancy.
- Maternal RSV between 28 and 36 weeks.
- COVID-19 booster per current ATAGI advice.
The partner and household contacts
- dTpa booster if not had in the last 10 years (NIP-funded for new parents).
- Annual flu shot.
- MMR catch-up if needed (free for adults 20–59 in Victoria, see our MMR catch-up post).
- Chickenpox vaccination if not immune (avoid live vaccines around a newborn, plan ahead).
The baby
The NIP childhood schedule starts at birth (hepatitis B) and continues through 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months and 4 years. Most early childhood vaccines are delivered by a GP, paediatrician, or local council immunisation session. See our vaccine schedule page.
Visitors
Anyone planning to hold the baby in the first weeks should be up to date with their flu shot and whooping cough booster. We can do these in a single visit at the pharmacy.
Sources & further reading
General information only. This article is educational and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Your immuniser will confirm eligibility and contraindications on the day.
TGA advertising compliance. Vaccines are referred to by disease or category in line with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code. Specific brands and registered indications are discussed at the consultation.