Can I still get a COVID vaccine? What you need to know about the latest updates
Australia is transitioning its COVID-19 vaccination program to the National Immunisation Program, making vaccines free only for high-risk individuals starting October 1. Healthy adults will now need to pay for the vaccine privately, reflecting the shift of COVID-19 to an endemic status.
Why it matters
This policy change signals a broader global trend of treating COVID-19 as a routine, endemic health issue rather than a pandemic-level emergency.
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Starting Oct. 1, COVID vaccines will be free and recommended only for those most at risk of serious illness.
Some people at lower risk—including healthy adults ages 18–64—are asked to consider the vaccine , but will have to pay for it privately. Some say this could cost A$130–A$150 .
The changes mark the end of Australia's stand-alone COVID vaccine program that was introduced during the pandemic. In research out today , COVID vaccines were estimated to have prevented 4,900 deaths in mid- to late 2021 in Victoria alone.
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