COVID-19 vaccines in Tasmania
Everyone living in Tasmania aged 5 years and over is eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine.
Four vaccines are available in Tasmania.
| Aged you can get vaccine | When you should get your second dose |
|---|---|
| Children aged 5 to 11 years |
|
| When you can get a third (booster) dose | Where to get it |
Third (booster) dose not approved | State-run clinic, GP or select pharmacies |
| Aged you can get vaccine | When you should get your second dose |
|---|---|
| People aged 12 years and over |
|
| When you can get a third (booster) dose | Where to get it |
| State-run clinic, GP, or pharmacy |
| Aged you can get vaccine | When you should get your second dose |
|---|---|
| Children aged 6-11 years |
|
| When you can get a third (booster) dose | Where to get it |
Third (booster) dose not approved | Select pharmacies |
| Aged you can get vaccine | When you should get your second dose |
|---|---|
| People aged 12 years and over |
|
| When you can get a third (booster) dose | Where to get it |
| Pharmacy |
| Aged you can get vaccine | When you should get your second dose |
|---|---|
| People aged 60 years and over |
|
| When you can get a third (booster) dose | Where to get it |
| GP or pharmacy |
| Aged you can get vaccine | When you should get your second dose |
|---|---|
| People aged 18 years and over |
|
| When you can get a third (booster) dose | Where to get it |
| GP or pharmacy |
Find out more about where to get vaccinated by visiting Book Your Vaccine.
Vaccination status
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has stated a person aged 16 years and over:
- should have a third (booster) dose three months after their second dose; or
- who is immunocompromised, should have a booster after completing their primary vaccination course.
Both will be considered overdue if they have not had a booster shot within six months.
5 to 15 years
Children aged 5 to 15 years - are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations if they have received both dose 1 and 2. A third (booster) dose is not currently recommended in this age group.
Children aged 5 to 15 years who are immunocompromised - are up to date with their vaccination if they have received a third primary dose. An additional (booster) dose is not currently recommended in this age group.
Vaccines are safe and effective
Vaccines used in Australia must pass strict safety standards set by Australia's independent medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The TGA rigorously monitors the safety of these vaccines.
Learn more about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
Proof of vaccination
You can access a free vaccination record or a COVID-19 digital certificate online via myGov through your Medicare or My Health Record account.
For step-by-step help to get your vaccination record or COVID-19 digital certificate, visit the Services Australia website. If you need more help or can’t get online, ring the Australian Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809.
For more information about accessing your immunisation history or showing you've received the vaccine through myGov, visit Services Australia.
Reporting symptoms following vaccination
Reporting your symptoms after a vaccination helps ensure COVID-19 vaccines are delivered as safely as possible in Tasmania.
You can report your symptoms following vaccination to the Department of Health, Tasmania by calling the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 or emailing a completed form (Word and PDF) to tas.aefi@health.tas.gov.au.
Contact your doctor or healthcare provider if you have severe symptoms, symptoms that are not going away after a few days, or are otherwise concerned about side effects.
During the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines safety has remained the top priority. Hundreds of millions of people are suffering from the ongoing social and economic devastation caused by the pandemic. The urgency of this crisis means that globally all available resources and efforts have been directed towards finding a safe and effective vaccine, and this includes in Australia.
In the past, the process of developing and licensing a vaccine has taken many years, but this has been shortened to within 12 months of the virus being discovered.
Some of the reasons for this rapid progress include:
Unprecedented funding and collaboration between vaccine developers and governments around the world. Significant financial investments were made, including building manufacturing facilities during the process of clinical trials, thereby speeding up the distribution process.
Technology has evolved, making vaccine development faster than in the past. Vaccine development requires understanding a virus’s genetic code. New technology enabled researchers to rapidly understand the genetic code of the COVID-19 virus. This allowed scientists around the world to start developing vaccines.
Clinical trials progress more quickly if a disease is widespread. Because so many people around the world have been sick with COVID-19, it has been easier to enrol people in trials and study the vaccine.
Importantly, COVID-19 vaccines must pass through the exact same rigor and phases of clinical trials as other vaccines and do not miss any important safety and quality checks along the way. Approval is only given if the vaccine works and meets the appropriate safety requirements.
In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) ensures there is an independent quality assessment of every vaccine batch in Australia before vaccines can be distributed.
Further information on the development and testing process can be found at Australia’s vaccine agreements | Australian Government Department of Health.
All vaccines approved for use in Australia protect against COVID-19, including severe illness and death from COVID-19. Like all vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccines work by training our immune systems to respond to a disease.
The virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is studded with spike proteins that it uses to enter human cells. COVID-19 vaccines present our immune system with a part of the virus, the spike protein, so that it is familiar with the virus and able to mount a strong immune response if it encounters the virus in the future.
You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine.
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has developed two decision aids to help you make a decision about getting yourself and/or your children vaccinated.
- Decision aid for adults (16+ years) has five simple steps, giving you information about the virus, the vaccine and the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated.
- Decision aid for children (5-15 years) has information about the virus, the vaccine and the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated, helping you decide what is right for your child.
All viruses change or mutate. It is anticipated that the mRNA vaccines – including Pfizer (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax) – and AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) vaccine will be effective against the newer strains or mutations of COVID-19.
This is because the vaccines work by inducing what is known as a "polyclonal" response – a collection of immunological responses to many different parts of the COVID "spike" protein. In the new strains or mutations, most of the spike protein stays the same and only a limited part of the spike protein is changed. So the vaccines should still work against the main, unchanged parts to the COVID-19 spike protein. Researchers are still investigating this and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is monitoring this as part of their vaccine approval and monitoring process.
If necessary, it is possible to slightly change the vaccine composition quickly to respond to new variants. This is done every year for the influenza vaccine to keep pace with the natural evolution of the circulating influenza virus.
People who have had COVID-19 can be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine. Current advice is to wait three months after your confirmed COVID-19 infection before receiving your next COVID-19 vaccine. It is recommended that you still receive all of your COVID-19 vaccines.
This means if a patient tests positive for COVID-19 between their first and second doses, or between their second and booster dose, they should delay next dose for 3 months. The risk of re-infection with Omicron is very low within three months following infection.
Read the latest clinical advice for COVID-19 vaccination, including advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
Yes. You can still spread the virus even after you’ve been vaccinated.
For more questions and answers, please see: COVID-19 vaccines – Is it true? | Australian Government Department of Health.
For more information about Australia’s vaccine rollout program, visit: Australian Government Department of Health.
For more information about the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s vaccine approval process: TGA COVID vaccines
Other reputable information about vaccines is available from:
National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
Melbourne Vaccination Education Centre
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance has a comprehensive frequently asked questions list, that you can check out if you have other questions not answered here.