What is the puppy vaccination schedule in Australia?

The common Australian pattern is three vaccinations across the first four months: the first at 6–8 weeks (usually given by the breeder or shelter), the second at 10–12 weeks, and the final one at 14–16 weeks. The final dose is not given earlier than 16 weeks of age, because antibodies passed on by the mother can block a vaccine given before then. A booster follows at about 6 months.

What is the difference between C3 and C5?

C3 is the core vaccine covering canine parvovirus, canine distemper and infectious canine hepatitis (adenovirus) — every Australian dog should have it. C5 is C3 plus the two most common causes of canine cough, Bordetella bronchiseptica and canine parainfluenza virus. Boarding kennels, daycare and groomers almost always require a current C5, and the canine cough components are boosted yearly rather than three-yearly.

Has the 12-month booster changed?

Yes. The booster after the puppy or kitten course was traditionally given about 12 months after the last dose. The 2024 WSAVA vaccination guidelines — restated in the Australian Veterinary Association’s policy — now recommend it from 6 months of age instead, to pick up animals whose maternal antibodies blocked the earlier doses. Individual clinics may still run the older protocol, so ask yours which one they use.

When can my puppy go outside in Australia?

Most vets consider a puppy protected about two weeks after the final vaccination at 14–16 weeks. Before then, socialise in low-risk settings: your own yard, houses with vaccinated dogs, puppy preschool that checks vaccination status, and carrying your puppy in public. Avoid dog parks and unfenced public grass — parvovirus survives in soil for months.

Does the vaccination schedule differ between Australian states?

The core course does not. C3 for dogs and F3 for cats are given on the same ages everywhere in Australia. What changes by state is the risk-based extras: leptospirosis is actively recommended in parts of NSW and Queensland, paralysis tick prevention matters on the east coast, and the age by which you must register and microchip is set by state law — 12 weeks in NSW, three months in Victoria and WA, six months in Tasmania.

What is the kitten vaccination schedule?

The same shape as a puppy’s: an F3 (feline panleukopaenia, calicivirus and herpesvirus) from 6–8 weeks, repeated every 3–4 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age, then a booster at about 6 months. F4 and F5 add non-core cover — feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukaemia virus or Chlamydia felis, depending on the brand — and which of those your cat needs depends on whether they go outside.

Do I need an account to use this?

No. There is no sign-up and no email capture, and nothing you type is sent anywhere — the schedule is worked out in your own browser. You can print it, or download it as a calendar file that works in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar and Outlook.

Free tool

Puppy & kitten vaccination schedule generator

Every guide gives you the same table of ages. What you actually need is dates — the ones that go in the calendar, next to work and school pickup. Enter a date of birth and your state and you get the whole first year, printable and ready to import.

No account, no email, nothing sent anywhere.

Puppy or kitten?

Date of birth

An estimate is fine — a rescue's “about eight weeks” gets you a puppy schedule that is right to within a few days.

Name — optionalUsed on the printout and in the calendar events.

State or territory — changes the local risks, not the core dates

Add the non-core vaccines?

Canine cough — the C5Boarding kennels, daycare and groomers almost always require a current C5. Adds a yearly top-up to the schedule.LeptospirosisRecommended in NSWThe AVA has named the Central Coast, the Northern Beaches, parts of inner Sydney and the South Coast as areas where cases have been confirmed, and recommends resident and visiting dogs in those areas be vaccinated. Ask your vet whether your suburb is on their list.

Enter a date of birth above and the whole first-year schedule appears here — dated, printable, and downloadable straight into your calendar.

The standard Australian schedule

Most Australian clinics run three vaccinations across the first four months of life, two to four weeks apart, for both puppies and kittens:

6–8 weeks — first vaccination, usually given before you collect them. Check the breeder or shelter paperwork rather than assuming.
10–12 weeks — second vaccination. For dogs this is normally where the canine cough components are added if you are going to C5.
14–16 weeks — final vaccination of the course. Not earlier than 16 weeks: antibodies passed on by the mother can block a vaccine given before then, which is how an animal ends up with a full-looking card and no protection.
About 6 months — the booster after the course. See below; this one moved.

Exact timing varies with the clinic's protocol, local disease risk and your animal's health. Treat the generated dates as the common pattern and your own vet's plan as the source of truth — that is what the printout is for: take it in and have them correct it.

The 12-month booster is now a 6-month booster

This is the part most puppy guides online — including our own article, until it was updated — still get wrong. The booster after the primary course was traditionally given about twelve months after the last puppy or kitten dose. The 2024 WSAVA vaccination guidelines, restated in the Australian Veterinary Association's policy, now recommend giving it from 6 months of age instead.

The reason is the same reason the last puppy dose waits until 16 weeks: a proportion of animals are non-responders at every dose in the course, because their mother's antibodies were still in the way. Waiting a full year to find that out leaves a six- month window where a dog everyone believes is vaccinated is not. Pulling the booster forward closes it.

Not every clinic has moved. If yours books you in for fifteen months, that is a protocol difference rather than an error — but it is worth one question.

What the letters mean

The number counts the diseases covered. Everything above the core number is risk-based — a decision about where your animal actually goes, not a better product.

Dogs

Vaccine	Covers	Who needs it
C3 — core	Canine parvovirus, canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis (adenovirus)	Every Australian dog. Parvovirus is still circulating in every state and is often fatal in unvaccinated puppies.
C5 — core plus canine cough	C3 plus Bordetella bronchiseptica and canine parainfluenza virus	Required by most boarding kennels, daycares and groomers. The canine cough half is boosted yearly.
Leptospirosis — non-core	Leptospira serovars carried in rat urine and stagnant water	Risk-based. Two doses are needed before a dog is covered, then a yearly booster.

Cats

Vaccine	Covers	Who needs it
F3 — core	Feline panleukopaenia (enteritis), feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus	Every cat, indoor ones included — panleukopaenia can come home on your shoes.
F4 / F5 — non-core add-ons	F3 plus one or more of FIV, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) or Chlamydia felis	What the “4” and the “5” contain varies by manufacturer, so ask which one you are being offered rather than assuming. Mostly relevant for cats with outdoor access.

What your state changes — and what it doesn't

The core course is the same everywhere in Australia. Any page offering you a “NSW puppy vaccination schedule” that differs from the Victorian one is inventing a difference. Three things genuinely do change by state, and those are what the selector above switches:

Leptospirosis. Non-core everywhere, but actively recommended where cases cluster — the AVA has named the Central Coast, Northern Beaches, parts of inner Sydney and the NSW South Coast, and it is well established in coastal and south-east Queensland.
Paralysis ticks. An east-coast animal, from far north Queensland down to eastern Victoria. Not a vaccine — there isn't one — but the prevention conversation belongs in the same first-year appointments.
Registration and microchipping deadlines. Set by state law, and they land in the same fortnight as the last puppy vaccination, which is exactly why they get missed.

State	Leptospirosis	Paralysis tick	Register / microchip by
NSW	Recommended in parts	Established	12 weeks
VIC	Ask your vet	Part of the state	3 months
QLD	Recommended in parts	Established	12 weeks
WA	Ask your vet	Not established	3 months
SA	Ask your vet	Not established	3 months
TAS	Ask your vet	Not established	6 months
ACT	Ask your vet	Part of the state	8 weeks
NT	Ask your vet	Not established	set by your council

Ages shown are for dogs; cats differ in WA (6 months) and are left to councils in SA and the NT. Queensland sets a microchipping age in state law but leaves the registration age to each council. The generator above states the rule in full and links to the official page for whichever state you pick.

Common questions

What is the puppy vaccination schedule in Australia?: The common Australian pattern is three vaccinations across the first four months: the first at 6–8 weeks (usually given by the breeder or shelter), the second at 10–12 weeks, and the final one at 14–16 weeks. The final dose is not given earlier than 16 weeks of age, because antibodies passed on by the mother can block a vaccine given before then. A booster follows at about 6 months.
What is the difference between C3 and C5?: C3 is the core vaccine covering canine parvovirus, canine distemper and infectious canine hepatitis (adenovirus) — every Australian dog should have it. C5 is C3 plus the two most common causes of canine cough, Bordetella bronchiseptica and canine parainfluenza virus. Boarding kennels, daycare and groomers almost always require a current C5, and the canine cough components are boosted yearly rather than three-yearly.
Has the 12-month booster changed?: Yes. The booster after the puppy or kitten course was traditionally given about 12 months after the last dose. The 2024 WSAVA vaccination guidelines — restated in the Australian Veterinary Association’s policy — now recommend it from 6 months of age instead, to pick up animals whose maternal antibodies blocked the earlier doses. Individual clinics may still run the older protocol, so ask yours which one they use.
When can my puppy go outside in Australia?: Most vets consider a puppy protected about two weeks after the final vaccination at 14–16 weeks. Before then, socialise in low-risk settings: your own yard, houses with vaccinated dogs, puppy preschool that checks vaccination status, and carrying your puppy in public. Avoid dog parks and unfenced public grass — parvovirus survives in soil for months.
Does the vaccination schedule differ between Australian states?: The core course does not. C3 for dogs and F3 for cats are given on the same ages everywhere in Australia. What changes by state is the risk-based extras: leptospirosis is actively recommended in parts of NSW and Queensland, paralysis tick prevention matters on the east coast, and the age by which you must register and microchip is set by state law — 12 weeks in NSW, three months in Victoria and WA, six months in Tasmania.
What is the kitten vaccination schedule?: The same shape as a puppy’s: an F3 (feline panleukopaenia, calicivirus and herpesvirus) from 6–8 weeks, repeated every 3–4 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age, then a booster at about 6 months. F4 and F5 add non-core cover — feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukaemia virus or Chlamydia felis, depending on the brand — and which of those your cat needs depends on whether they go outside.
Do I need an account to use this?: No. There is no sign-up and no email capture, and nothing you type is sent anywhere — the schedule is worked out in your own browser. You can print it, or download it as a calendar file that works in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar and Outlook.

Next, the useful stuff

Puppy vaccination schedule in Australia — the longer explanation behind these dates, including what to do about the socialisation window.
Paralysis tick season checklist — the seasonal risk that catches out new east-coast owners.
Council registration due dates — the deadline in the schedule above is the first registration. This is the renewal that follows it every year, and the date is different in every state.
Pet age calculator — what life stage they are in, which is what changes their care after the first year.
Pet sitter information sheet — printable, for the first time someone else looks after them.
Get Household Pet free — the same dates, shared with the household, with reminders that arrive on time.

Dates on paper still have to be remembered

This schedule is right the day you print it and no use at all the day it slips behind the fridge. Log the first vaccination in Household Pet and it schedules the rest — a reminder before each one falls due, shared with everyone in the household so the booster gets given once, by whoever is home.

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Sources

Reviewed August 2026. This generator is general information for Australian pet owners, not veterinary advice, and the dates it produces are the common pattern rather than a plan written for your animal. Your vet sets the protocol based on their clinic's vaccines, your local disease risk and your pet's health — print this, take it in, and let them correct it.