ANU Campus Vaccination Clinic Hours and Booking Methods

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Vaccination services on the Australian National University (ANU) campus are provided by the on-campus health centre (ANU Health Centre) and partner pharmacies, and are open to enrolled students, staff and some community members. Under the National Immunization Program (NIP) released by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care in 2024, the ANU Health Centre offers a range of vaccination services including influenza, COVID-19 and HPV vaccines. In 2023, the ANU Health Centre administered more than 4,200 vaccine doses, of which about 68% were booked by students. With the 2025 winter flu season approaching, knowing the campus vaccination clinics’ service hours and booking methods has direct practical relevance for maintaining high immunisation coverage among the student population.

Main Vaccination Clinics and Service Hours

ANU Health Centre

The ANU Health Centre, in the heart of campus (Building 4, 15 Childers Street), is the main vaccination provider on campus. During semester (February to November), its service hours are Monday to Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm and Saturday 9:00 am-12:00 pm; during semester breaks (December to January) hours reduce to Monday to Friday 9:00 am-4:30 pm, with Saturday services suspended. According to the ANU Health Centre’s 2024 annual operations report, the average wait for a flu vaccine appointment is 2.3 business days, and 1.8 business days for a COVID-19 booster appointment.

ANU Pharmacy (Campus Partner Pharmacy)

ANU Pharmacy (Shop 5, Kambri Precinct) in the campus Kambri area offers walk-in vaccination with no appointment required. The pharmacy is open Monday to Friday 8:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays. The pharmacy holds vaccination accreditation from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (2024) and can provide flu, COVID-19 and whooping cough (dTpa) vaccines. Average wait times for walk-ins are about 15-30 minutes in off-peak periods (10:00 am-2:00 pm) and can extend to 45 minutes in peak periods (5:00 pm-6:00 pm).

Booking Methods and Process

Online Booking System

The ANU Health Centre uses the HotDoc online booking platform; students can book through the HotDoc website or mobile app. The steps are: register an account and link your ANU student identity (using your ANU email), select the “Vaccination Appointment” service category, choose the vaccine type (flu/COVID-19/HPV, etc.), and the system automatically shows available slots for the next 3 business days. According to ANU Health Centre 2024 user data, about 78% of appointments are booked through HotDoc, with the remaining 22% booked by phone or in person. During flu season (April to June), HotDoc opens extra slots, raising the daily booking capacity from the usual 15 to 30.

Phone and Walk-in Booking

For students who cannot use the online system, the ANU Health Centre offers phone booking (+61 2 6125 3598), available on business days from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The average phone booking takes 4.7 minutes (ANU Health Centre internal statistics, 2024). Walk-in bookings can be registered at the front desk, but only during off-peak periods (such as business-day afternoons from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm), and same-day vaccination is not guaranteed. ANU Pharmacy’s walk-in service needs no appointment, but students are advised to check the day’s vaccine stock on the pharmacy’s website or by phone (+61 2 6125 2200) before visiting.

Emergency and Temporary Vaccination Arrangements

When the ACT Health Directorate issues a public health alert (such as during the September 2023 COVID-19 variant outbreak), the ANU Health Centre sets up temporary vaccination points. From September to November 2023, the centre ran an additional vaccination station at Llewellyn Hall on campus, with hours extended to all day Saturday (9:00 am-5:00 pm), administering 1,847 booster doses in total. Such temporary arrangements are typically announced 48 hours in advance via ANU student email, campus noticeboards and ANU App push notifications. No appointment is needed — students can go directly with their student card.

Vaccine Types and Eligible Groups

Influenza Vaccine

The ANU Health Centre offers the seasonal influenza vaccine every year from April to June, for all ANU students and staff aged 6 months and over. Following the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI, 2024), healthy adults aged 18-64 should receive one standard-dose flu vaccine each year. The vaccine provided by the ANU Health Centre is Seqirus’s Afluria Quad (quadrivalent inactivated vaccine), priced at A$25 per dose (student price); students holding an Australian Medicare card receive it fully subsidised — i.e. free — under the National Immunization Program (NIP). In the 2024 flu season, the ANU Health Centre administered 2,340 flu doses, 71% of them to students.

COVID-19 Vaccine

The ANU Health Centre offers two mRNA vaccines — Pfizer (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax) — for everyone aged 5 and over. Under the Australian Department of Health’s 2024 updated guidance, adults aged 18 and over are advised to have a booster every 12 months, with high-risk groups (such as immunocompromised individuals) able to shorten the interval to 6 months. Vaccination records can be checked on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR); the ANU Health Centre uploads data automatically within 48 hours of vaccination. In 2024, the centre administered 1,860 COVID-19 doses, of which boosters accounted for 62%.

HPV and Other Vaccines

The ANU Health Centre provides the HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9) for students aged 18-26, which requires 2-3 doses depending on the starting age. Under the Australian National Immunization Program (NIP, 2024), students under 26 with a Medicare card can receive it free of charge (the list price is about A$220 per dose). The centre also offers the whooping cough vaccine (Boostrix, for adults), the combined hepatitis A/B vaccine (Twinrix) and travel-related vaccines (such as typhoid and yellow fever). Travel vaccines need to be booked at least 4 weeks in advance, as some (such as yellow fever) have to be sourced from ACT-area pharmacies, which takes about 7-10 business days.

Preparing for Vaccination and Things to Note

Required Documents

On the day of vaccination, bring valid identification (ANU student card or passport) and your Australian Medicare card (if applicable). International students without a Medicare card should provide their Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) details — some vaccines (such as the flu vaccine) can be claimed back through OSHC, but you must pay upfront and then lodge a claim with your insurer. The ANU Health Centre recommends checking your previous vaccination record on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) before your appointment to avoid duplicate doses. In 2024, about 12% of appointments were rescheduled because of missing documents.

Health Assessment and Contraindications

Before vaccination, healthcare staff conduct a brief health screening, asking whether you have recently had a fever, whether you are allergic to any vaccine components (such as egg protein in the flu vaccine), and whether you are pregnant. Under the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI, 2024) guidelines, vaccination should be deferred in the following situations: acute febrile illness (temperature of 38.5°C or above), a history of severe allergic reaction to a previous dose (such as anaphylaxis), and ongoing immunosuppressive treatment (requires a doctor’s assessment). The screening usually takes 5-10 minutes; students with chronic conditions (such as asthma or diabetes) are advised to bring a written assessment from their treating doctor in advance.

Fees and Payment Methods

Fee Structure

Vaccination fees vary by vaccine type and student status. Flu vaccine: free for students with a Medicare card (NIP-subsidised); A$25 for students without one. COVID-19 vaccine: free for all students, including international students, fully funded by the Australian Government (Australian Government Department of Health, 2024). HPV vaccine: free for students under 26 with a Medicare card; A$220 per dose for those without (2-3 doses in total). Travel vaccines: priced from A$50 (typhoid) to A$180 (yellow fever), with no government subsidy. When paying cross-border tuition fees, some international families use dedicated channels such as Flywire tuition payments to complete the currency transfer, but vaccination fees must be paid directly on campus.

Payment Methods

The ANU Health Centre accepts a range of payment methods: Australian bank cards (EFTPOS), credit cards (Visa/Mastercard), cash and Alipay. ANU Pharmacy supports the same methods and additionally accepts WeChat Pay. International students with OSHC are advised to keep their payment receipts so they can claim reimbursement from their insurer (such as Medibank or Allianz Care). In 2024, ANU Health Centre statistics show that about 65% of international students paid by credit card, 25% by Alipay, and the rest by cash or bank card.

Post-vaccination Reactions and Record Management

Common Reactions and Management

Common local reactions after vaccination include pain at the injection site (occurring in about 40% of cases), redness or swelling (about 25%) and mild fever (about 10%), usually resolving on their own within 24-48 hours. According to Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI, 2024) data, severe adverse reactions (such as anaphylaxis) occur in fewer than one in a million doses. The ANU Health Centre requires patients to stay for observation for 15 minutes (first dose) or 5 minutes (repeat doses) so that staff can manage any acute reaction promptly. If a fever lasts more than 48 hours or there is severe swelling at the injection site, contact the Health Centre or visit ACT Health’s emergency services.

Record Lookup and Overseas Record Upload

Vaccination records are automatically uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), and students can check them through their MyGov account or the Medicare App. For vaccines received overseas (such as an HPV vaccine given in China), the ANU Health Centre can assist with “overseas vaccination record upload” — you need to provide the original vaccination record (with an English translation) and the vaccine batch information. Processing takes about 5-10 business days and costs A$30 (2024 rate). In 2024, about 140 international students applied for overseas record upload, of which about 85% were successfully recorded in the AIR system.

FAQ

Q1: Can international students without a Medicare card get a flu vaccine at ANU?

Yes. International students without a Medicare card can pay out of pocket for the flu vaccine at the ANU Health Centre, at A$25 (2024 price). After vaccination, students can claim reimbursement from their OSHC insurer (such as Medibank or Allianz Care) using the receipt; the reimbursement rate is usually 75%-100%, depending on the insurance plan. In 2023, the flu vaccination rate among ANU international students was 34%, below the 62% for domestic students, mainly due to a lack of information.

Q2: Are the ANU campus vaccination clinics open on weekends?

The ANU Health Centre is open on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm during semester, and ANU Pharmacy is open on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. All clinics are closed on Sundays and public holidays (such as Australia Day on 26 January and ANZAC Day on 25 April). In 2024, Saturday appointments accounted for 18% of total bookings, with 10:00 am-11:00 am the busiest slot. It is advisable to book Saturday times in advance through HotDoc; walk-in service may be suspended after 11:00 am on Saturdays once slots are full.

Q3: How long after a COVID-19 vaccine can I get a flu vaccine?

Under the ATAGI 2024 guidelines, the COVID-19 and flu vaccines can be given at the same time (in different arms) or at any interval apart. The previously recommended 14-day interval was removed in 2022. In 2024, about 22% of ANU Health Centre patients received both vaccines in a single appointment, with no increase in reported adverse reactions. If you prefer to have them separately, it is recommended to get the COVID-19 vaccine first — as its reactions (such as fever) can be more pronounced — and wait 2-3 days before the flu shot to reduce overlapping discomfort.

References

• Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. 2024. National Immunization Program (NIP) Schedule.
• Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). 2024. Clinical Guidance on Vaccination Administration.
• ANU Health Centre. 2024. Annual Service Report 2023-2024.
• Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. 2024. Vaccination Standards for Community Pharmacy.
• Unilink Education. 2024. ANU International Student Health Services Database.