COVID-19
Vaccines are the best way to protect you and your family against COVID-19 disease.
COVID-19 belongs to a large family of coronaviruses that can cause a range of illnesses, from mild respiratory symptoms to more serious infections. COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that hasn’t been seen in humans before. It is sometimes referred to as SARS-CoV-2.
COVID-19
Fast facts
- COVID-19 is more dangerous and easier to catch than the flu. It is highly contagious and can be spread by close contact with someone that is infectious
- COVID-19 infection can be asymptomatic and cause mild to moderate symptoms, or cause severe illness requiring hospitalisation and intensive care
- Severe complications of COVID-19 include pneumonia, organ failure and death
- People most at-risk of developing severe symptoms if infected with COVID-19 include pregnant people, seniors and people with underlying medical problems
- Long-COVID involves ongoing symptoms of infection months after the initial diagnosis of COVID-19. Symptoms can include lethargy, shortness of breath, chest pain, problems with memory and concentration, hallucinations, auditory and visual changes as well as gastrointestinal and bladder issues
- Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 can help slow down the spread of the virus and is the best way to prevent severe disease, hospitalisations and death
- If you have already been infected with COVID-19 it is recommended you receive the recommended schedule of COVID-19 vaccines for your age and risk factors
COVID-19
Special Risk Groups
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Children and babies
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Pregnancy
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
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Seniors
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Immunocompromised
COVID-19 infection in children and babies is often milder than in adults. However with the emergence of newer variants, infection still occurs at similar rates.
Complications of COVID-19 infection in children can include PIMS-TS (Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Temporarily associated with SARS-CoV-2) which is a rare but serious condition involving wide spread inflammation affecting different parts of the body. Treatment involves hospital admission to intensive care.
Children 5 years of age and older can receive COVID-19 vaccines. Clinical trials are currently assessing the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in children aged 6 months to 4 years.
Women planning pregnancy and women who are currently pregnant are strongly encouraged to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Women who become infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to need hospitalisation or intensive care, when compared with non-pregnant women of the same age. This can also lead to their unborn baby being at a higher risk of premature delivery and needing specialist hospital care.
Breastfeeding women can also safely receive COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 antibodies from mothers can be passed onto infants through the placenta or in breast milk, providing babies with some protection against disease.
Vaccines are the best way to protect yourselves and your communities from getting sick and spreading COVID-19 disease.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are a priority group for access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Increasing age is one of the most significant risk factors for experiencing severe symptoms of COVID-19 and its complications. As you age, the effectiveness of the immune system decreases and therefore so does the ability to fight infection. Equally, the immune response triggered by vaccines can also be poorer than that experienced by younger people.
Seniors are strongly recommended to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccines (including booster doses) to provide protection against severe COVID-19 disease, hospitalisation and death.
Vaccination is particularly important for those who are immunocompromised due to the increased risk of developing severe disease (hospitalisation/intensive care admission, death) if exposed to COVID-19 infection. All COVID-19 vaccines in Australia are inactivated (non-live) vaccines and are safe to be administered to immunocompromised individuals.
COVID-19 infection in children and babies is often milder than in adults. However with the emergence of newer variants, infection still occurs at similar rates.
Complications of COVID-19 infection in children can include PIMS-TS (Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Temporarily associated with SARS-CoV-2) which is a rare but serious condition involving wide spread inflammation affecting different parts of the body. Treatment involves hospital admission to intensive care.
Children 5 years of age and older can receive COVID-19 vaccines. Clinical trials are currently assessing the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in children aged 6 months to 4 years.
Women planning pregnancy and women who are currently pregnant are strongly encouraged to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Women who become infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to need hospitalisation or intensive care, when compared with non-pregnant women of the same age. This can also lead to their unborn baby being at a higher risk of premature delivery and needing specialist hospital care.
Breastfeeding women can also safely receive COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 antibodies from mothers can be passed onto infants through the placenta or in breast milk, providing babies with some protection against disease.
Vaccines are the best way to protect yourselves and your communities from getting sick and spreading COVID-19 disease.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are a priority group for access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Increasing age is one of the most significant risk factors for experiencing severe symptoms of COVID-19 and its complications. As you age, the effectiveness of the immune system decreases and therefore so does the ability to fight infection. Equally, the immune response triggered by vaccines can also be poorer than that experienced by younger people.
Seniors are strongly recommended to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccines (including booster doses) to provide protection against severe COVID-19 disease, hospitalisation and death.
Vaccination is particularly important for those who are immunocompromised due to the increased risk of developing severe disease (hospitalisation/intensive care admission, death) if exposed to COVID-19 infection. All COVID-19 vaccines in Australia are inactivated (non-live) vaccines and are safe to be administered to immunocompromised individuals.
COVID-19
Vaccine safety
Vaccines are the best way to protect against COVID-19 disease.
Billions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given worldwide. Ongoing monitoring from Australian and international vaccine regulators have shown they are both safe and effective.
COVID-19
Everything you need to know
Before any vaccine or medication can be given to the population it must go through rigorous testing and extensive clinical trials.
In Australia, all vaccines are then reviewed by the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration). The TGA does this by carefully looking at and analysing clinical trials data, ingredients, manufacturing processes, international evidence and other factors. Once the TGA provides their approval, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) then provides specific guidance on how the vaccines should be rolled out into the community.
Once a vaccine has been approved, monitoring by the TGA and ATAGI continues. Any potential concern with a vaccine is thoroughly investigated. This helps to ensure safe and effective immunisation programs and maintain community confidence in vaccines.
Minor side effects following COVID-19 vaccination are expected. Common symptoms can include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site as well as more general side effects such as fever, chills, headache and tiredness. Most symptoms are mild to moderate in severity and occur within the first three days of vaccination, and last 1–3 days. They can generally be managed at home with rest, fluids and over-the-counter analgesia.
PIMS-TS is a syndrome that can occur in children aged 2-6 years after an initial COVID-19 infection. The initial infection may be asymptomatic or mild. Symptoms of PIMS-TS can include fever (persisting over several days), abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, rash, irritability or red eyes. These symptoms can also be found in other illnesses and so it is important that if you are worried that you seek medical attention. In severe cases intensive care treatment is required.
Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19. It is known that pregnant women and their babies are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 ie. requiring hospitalisation or intensive care. There is also a higher risk of premature birth (being born before 37 weeks gestation) and requiring hospitalisation.
Research from a large clinical trial with tens of thousands of pregnant women and ongoing global surveillance shows that mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are safe for pregnant women (at any stage in pregnancy) and in breastfeeding women.
There is no increased risk of complications such as premature delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight or birth defects associated with COVID-19 vaccines. Women who are trying to become pregnant do not need to delay vaccination or avoid becoming pregnant after vaccination. Women who are breastfeeding can also safely receive COVID-19 vaccines.
It is safe and effective for pregnant women to receive COVID-19 vaccines at any stage of pregnancy. It is important that pregnant women are protected from COVID-19 disease because of the increased likelihood of experiencing severe disease and its complications should they be infected during pregnancy.
