The Australian Government has invested over $17 billion in Australia’s vaccine and COVID-19 treatment supply as part of the COVID-19 Health response.
Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination information relevant to health professionals, our community and Residential Aged Care Homes.
The COVID-19 Vaccine in Australia
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has commenced.
We’ve sourced the latest information for both health professionals and community members on what the Australian Government has planned for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Australia.
The Australian Government launched the National COVID-19 Health Management Plan. The National Plan recognises that health response measures are still required to protect those most at risk from COVID-19 as the pandemic continues to evolve. In 2023, COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be principally administered in residential aged care by primary care providers such as general practitioners and pharmacists.
For more information, visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends that people aged 75 years and over should receive an additional 2023 COVID-19 vaccine dose if six months have passed since their last dose.
For the latest COVID-19 vaccination guidelines, please visit the DoHAC website.
As with all vaccinations, people are encouraged to discuss the vaccine options available to them with their health practitioner.
On 20 November 2023, the Hon Mark Butler MP published a media release announcing the latest advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on the new COVID-19 XBB 1.5 vaccine as part of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia has approved the use of the Pfizer monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccines for people aged five years and over, and the Moderna monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccine for people aged 12 years and over. These monovalent Omicron XBB1.5 vaccines are preferred over other COVID-19 vaccines for children five years and over, and adults who are currently recommended primary or further doses.
Please visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website for more information about the new COVID-19 XBB 1.5 vaccines.
In 2020, the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) released the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy which outlines how COVID-19 vaccines will be accessible on a rolling basis, dependent on vaccine delivery schedules and the identification of groups for most urgent vaccination.
Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine National Rollout Strategy identifies:
- Priority populations for vaccination, and the phases in which vaccines will be provided in Australia
- Details for how vaccines will reach frontline health care workers, quarantine and border workers, and aged and disability care residents and workers
- Initial locations, across Australia, at which vaccines will be administered
Primary care providers can read the COVID-19 Primary Care Vaccine Roll-out factsheet for more information.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved an application by the company AstraZeneca to change the name of their COVID-19 vaccine being used in Australia from AstraZeneca to Vaxzevria.
It is very important to note that the vaccine has not changed, only the name.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Our Health Professionals
We recommend health care professionals stay up-to-date with the latest advice and information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. We endeavour to keep you informed as information changes.
There is a range of resources available to help you answer questions from your patients about COVID-19 vaccines.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has created the Is it True? webpage which provides answers to common questions from community members. They have also developed a series of fact sheets about COVID-19 vaccines in an Easy Read format.
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) also regularly updates its COVID-19 vaccine FAQs webpage based on the latest information.
A range of resources and guides have been developed to help answer any questions and help patients make an informed decision about the COVID-19 vaccines:
- COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for older people, including those in residential aged care homes
- COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy
- ATAGI – COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for people with immunocompromise
- Cancer Australia – Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 vaccines for people affected by cancer
Visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website for more information and resources.
The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) developed the Arm Yourself campaign to encourage Australians aged 12 years and over to book an appointment to receive a vaccination approved by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.
The DoHAC has provided resources in a kit to help understand the vaccines available for young people and the importance of getting vaccinated.
This kit includes:
- Key messages
- Sample website and newsletter content
- Links to videos that you can share on social media channels
- Links to information sheets for young people, their parents or guardians
Access the COVID-19 vaccination – Youth community kit on the DoHAC website.
Resources
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has created a COVID-19 vaccine information for GPs webpage that is regularly updated.
The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) has published a COVID-19 Vaccine Information sheet to assist health care workers in talking about the vaccines with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
Posters have been developed for primary care providers:
- Checklist for vaccine preparation and administration
- COVID-19 vaccine comparison chart
- Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccines
- COVID-19 vaccine storage
- ATAGI recommended vaccine doses
Training
Administrative or non-clinical staff can enrol in non-clinical modules without an AHPRA number. DoHAC’s training modules cover information regarding handling, storage and administrative reporting. Further information is available on the DoHAC website.
The World Health Organisation has provided a three-hour online learning module to prepare health professionals administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Australian Immunisation Register Amendment (Reporting) Bill 2020 states that vaccination providers must report information about vaccinations they administer, and vaccines they are notified about that were given outside Australia, to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
More information is available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
Factsheets are also available for primary care providers:
Information about the Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) COVID-19 Vaccine Suitability Assessment Services is available on the MBS website.
A factsheet about COVID-19 vaccine MBS items has also been developed for GPs.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has provided advice about influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, particularly the timing of administering these vaccines. Find out more on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Our Community
To help you keep up-to-date with the latest advice about the COVID-19 vaccine, we’ve sourced a range of information and resources for you and your family.
The National Centre of Immunisation Research and Surveillance has created a COVID-19 Vaccine Decision Aid designed to help you decide whether COVID-19 vaccination is right for you. In five simple steps, it will give you the information you need about the virus and the vaccine, and help you think about what the risks and benefits of vaccination mean for you and your family.
The results will help you decide whether to:
- Get the COVID-19 vaccine now
- Wait to get the COVID-19 vaccine
- Not get the COVID-19 vaccine at all
In response to questions and misinformation circulating around the COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) has added the Is It True? feature to their website. This is designed to help answer people’s questions about COVID-19 vaccines and respond to vaccine misinformation they may have heard with all answers being fact-checked by public health experts.
DoHAC also developed a series of fact sheets about COVID-19 vaccines in an Easy Read format.
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) also regularly updates its COVID-19 vaccine FAQs webpage based on the latest information.
A range of resources and guides have been developed to help you make an informed decision about the COVID-19 vaccines:
- COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for older people, including those in residential aged care homes
- COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy
- COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for people with immunocompromise
- Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 vaccines for people affected by cancer
- healthdirect – COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effect Checker
Visit the DoHAC website for more information about the development and plans of the COVID-19 vaccine.
While you wait to be vaccinated for COVID-19, there are some things you can do to get ready.
This includes continuing to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 and making sure your details are up-to-date.
Find out what you can do to be ready for your COVID-19 vaccine on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.
There is more than one COVID-19 vaccine available in Australia.
The vaccine you receive will depend on:
- When and where you will be vaccinated
- The clinical guidelines that determine who each vaccine is safe for
Find out more on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.
You can also use the booster eligibility tool to determine whether you are eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccination.
COVID-19 vaccines can be co-administered (that is, given on the same day) with an influenza vaccine.
Studies show that co-administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines is safe and produces a good immune response.
For more information, visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
There are several ways you can get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations, depending on your situation.
You can access your proof of COVID-19 vaccination via MyGov.
For more information visit the NSW Health website.
Information about COVID-19 vaccinations has been translated into multiple languages.
Access information about receiving your COVID-19 vaccination by selecting your language on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has provided a COVID-19 Vaccination Common questions information sheet for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Videos featuring Auslan interpreters are now available on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.
These videos cover the vaccine approval process, the national rollout strategy and how vaccines are developed:
COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Residential Aged Care Home Staff and Community
We’re working with Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs) to support them with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
RACH staff and community can learn more on our Residential Aged Care Homes webpage.
Information on this page is correct as of 2:30pm AEST Thursday 7 March 2024.