COVID-19 vaccine

Funded groups

The following people are at the highest risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19 and are eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) through the National Immunisation Program (NIP):

• all adults 75 years and older - 1 dose every 6 months
• all adults aged 65–74 years - 1 dose every 12 months
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 50-74 years - 1 dose every 12 months
• all adults aged 18 years or over with a weakened immune system – 1 dose every 12 months 

Cohorts who can consider vaccination

If you are not eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine through the NIP, you can still get vaccinated by paying for the vaccine yourself. Talk to your health professional to find out whether the vaccine is right for you. The following people may consider having one COVID-19 vaccine dose:

• children aged 6 months to less than 18 years with medical risk conditions (including weakened immune system)
• all other adults aged 18-64 without a weakened immune system.

If you have not had a COVID-19 vaccine before and are pregnant, you may consider getting a dose from 20 weeks of pregnancy. Talk to your health professional about whether vaccination is right for you.

Getting vaccinated during pregnancy can help protect you from becoming very sick with COVID-19. It may also help protect your baby from COVID-19 and reduce their chance of needing hospital care after they are born.

Children and adolescents aged 6 months to under 18 years who do not have any health conditions that put them at higher risk are not usually recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

However, they may still choose to have a COVID-19 vaccine once a year after talking with their health professional about the possible benefits and risks.

• People who had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after a previous dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• People who had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after one mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
• People who have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine.

Benefits

• In adults, COVID-19 vaccination is about 56 per cent effective at preventing mild to moderate illness, 61 per cent effective at preventing hospital stays in people aged 65 years and over, and 70 per cent effective at preventing death from COVID-19 in people aged 65 years and over.
• In children, COVID-19 vaccination is more than 75 per cent effective at helping prevent COVID-19.

Risks

Like any medicine or vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects. In very rare cases, people can have a serious allergic reaction.

People with certain heart conditions should talk to a health professional before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. This includes people who have had myocarditis or pericarditis in the past 3 months, acute rheumatic fever affecting the heart, or severe heart failure.

• People aged 5 years and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other vaccines.
• For children aged 6 months to under 5 years, it is best to have the COVID-19 vaccine 7 to 14 days before or after other vaccines.
• If you need both an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and the mpox vaccine (JYNNEOS), you may want to have them 4 weeks apart. This is especially important for young males and people with certain health conditions.
• All vaccines used in Australia go through strict safety testing before they are approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
• Vaccine safety continues to be monitored through AusVaxSafety, a national program that tracks reactions to influenza vaccines each year.
• The TGA also continuously monitors COVID-19 vaccine safety and side effects (external site).

Learn more about vaccination safety.

COVID-19 vaccination is available at:

• GPs (general practice) 
• Pharmacies (for people aged 5 years and over)
• Community health clinics 
• Aboriginal Medical Services. 

The COVID-19 vaccine is free for eligible people, but some immunisation providers may charge a consultation fee for the vaccine. Check if there are any costs when you book your appointment.

If you have questions, speak to your healthcare provider or find out where you can get immunised.

Common side effects

Common side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine are usually mild. They often start soon after vaccination, last 1 to 2 days, and go away on their own without treatment. These can include:

• pain, redness and swelling where the vaccine was given
• a mild fever
• muscle aches
• feeling tired (fatigue)
• headache.

Serious side effects

Vaccines, like all medicines, can sometimes cause side effects. Serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction, are extremely rare. When they do happen, they usually occur within a few minutes to a few hours after vaccination. Immunisation providers are trained to recognise and treat these reactions.

A very small number of people may develop inflammation of the heart or the lining around the heart (called myocarditis or pericarditis) after a COVID-19 vaccine. However, this is very rare. For people at higher risk of severe COVID-19, the benefits of vaccination are much greater than the risk of these rare side effects.

You can learn more about possible vaccine side effects and what to do if they occur.

When to seek help

If you or someone you care for has a reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine and you are concerned about, seek medical advice. You can: 

• tell your immunisation provider if you’re still at the clinic 
• see your doctor 
• visit 1800MEDICARE on 1800 633 422
• visit your hospital emergency department 
• call an ambulance. 

Concerns about side effects

Your immunisation provider should report any serious or unusual reactions to a vaccine, but you can also make a report. 

If you have a reaction after vaccination that worries you, whether it is mild or serious, you can report it to the WA Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system, WA’s central reporting service for significant adverse events (reactions) following immunisation.

Report it: 

• via the WA Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system (external site) website 
• by phoning WAVSS on 6456 0208 (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday). 

WAVSS may contact you for further information. 

For more information, visit reporting side effects after immunisation