Vaccines
Australia | Aotearoa New Zealand
Australia
Visit Australian Government Department of Health for official news and information about the development, purchasing agreements, approval process and plans for COVID-19 vaccines. You can subscribe to updates from the Department about the roll-out.
COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and national roll-out strategy
The Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Policy outlines the Government’s high-level approach to providing vaccines.
Phase 1a of the vaccine roll-out starts 22 February 2021. The Department of Health has provided information on healthcare workers taking part and hospitals involved from the first week of vaccinations.
The national roll-out strategy outlines priority groups in a phased approach.
| Expected vaccine staged roll-out* |
| Phase 1a |
Phase 1b |
- quarantine and border workers
- frontline at-risk health care workers
- residential aged care and disability care staff
- residential aged care and disability care residents
|
- adults over 70 years
- all other health care workers
- begin vaccinating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- younger adults with an underlying medical condition, including those with a disability
- critical and high-risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing
|
| Phase 2a |
Phase 2b |
- adults over 50 years
- continue vaccinating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- other critical and high-risk workers
|
- balance of adult population
- catch up any unvaccinated Australians from previous phases
|
| Phase 3 |
- people under 18 years if recommended
|
* From the Australian Government Department of Health, 28 January 2021
Media
RACP supports Australian Government’s COVID-19 vaccine national roll-out strategy – public should have confidence in the Government’s approach | 16 January
The Australian Academy of Science — Academy statement on the pandemic, vaccines and misinformation | 14 January
Peak bodies support Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine strategy (PDF) | 13 January
Events
A series of webinars are being developed on the vaccine roll-out. Leading experts will provide short presentations, followed by an open discussion session for members.
Find out more about upcoming events.
Resources
NCIRS | COVID-19 vaccination: summary for immunisation providers
Victoria State Government, Health and Human Services | COVID-19
Victoria State Government | Clinician referral guide to the Victorian Specialist Immunisation Services (PDF)
Victoria State Government | COVID-19 vaccine brand guidance for clinicians (PDF)
NCIRS and NACCHO | Information about COVID-19 vaccines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People (PDF)
Cancer Australia | COVID-19 vaccines and cancer
NCIRS | COVID-19 Vaccines FAQs and COVID-19 vaccine webinar series
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation | Clinical guidance on use of COVID-19 vaccine in Australia in 2021 (PDF)
Australian Government Department of Health
Multicultural Stakeholder Pack - Support for current COVID-19 outbreaks (PDF)
Information for immunisation providers on Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) following COVID-19 vaccination (PDF)
Weighing up the potential benefits against risk of harm from COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (PDF)
ATAGI statement in response to European decisions about the AstraZeneca vaccine
Australia's vaccine statistics
Priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination program: Phase 1b
Local GPs on board to roll out COVID-19 vaccines
Disability service providers toolkit
Vaccine Eligibility Checker
Easy Read resources
COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for frail older people, including those in residential aged care facilities
What should I do before I get vaccinated for COVID-19?
COVID-19 vaccines development times
COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy
Webinars on the COVID-19 response for the health and aged care sector
COVID-19 vaccine aged care stakeholder kit
Community pharmacy COVID-19 vaccine rollout from Phase 2A
Expressions of interest for primary care participation in Phase 1b COVID-19 vaccine roll-out (only applies to GPs and is provided for information purposes).
Information and media kit resources for health professionals
Information sheet for health professionals (PDF)
Aotearoa New Zealand
Visit Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora for official news and information about development, purchasing agreements, approval process and plans for COVID-19 vaccines.
If you're not actively engaged in the health workforce, you can get involved by joining the COVID-19 Surge Workforce.
COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy and national roll-out
The Aotearoa New Zealand COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy ensures we are connecting globally to contribute to all aspects of vaccine research, development, distribution and use.
A staged roll-out is planned to begin from April 2021, subject to MedSafe approval and vaccine availability. The national roll-out outlines scenarios and priority groups in a phased approach.
| Expected vaccine staged roll-out * |
| Low/no community transmission |
Clusters/controlled outbreaks |
Widespread community transmission |
| Group 1 |
- Border and managed isolation/quarantine (MIQ) workforce
- High risk health workforce
- Household contacts of the above 2 groups
|
- Border and MIQ workforce
- High risk health workforce
- Affected population
|
- Older people (aged care residents, Māori and Pacific people, others aged over 65)
- People under 65 with underlying conditions
- People living in long-term residential care settings
|
| Group 2 |
- High risk frontline health workforce
- High risk frontline public sector and emergency services
|
- High risk frontline health workforce
- High risk frontline public sector and emergency services
|
- High risk frontline health workforce
- High risk frontline public sector and emergency services
- Remaining frontline health workforce
|
| Group 3 |
- Communities including older people and those with underlying conditions
- At risk health and social services workforce
|
- Communities including older people and those with underlying conditions
- At risk health and social services workforce
|
- Remaining health and public sector workforce
- Other population groups
|
* From the Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora, 3 February 2021
Events
A series of webinars are being developed on the vaccine roll-out. Leading experts will provide short presentations, followed by an open discussion session for members.
Find out more about upcoming events.
Resources
New Zealand Government
COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan
The RACP publishes notices of events and resources as a service to members. Such publication does not constitute endorsement or mandating of any such events or resources. The COVID-19 pandemic is an evolving situation and you should make your own enquiries and exercise your own judgement specific to your circumstances, clinical environment and differing social setting.
We suggest you refer to the advice provided by your local or jurisdiction Health Department, the Australian Department of Health and the Aotearoa New Zealand Ministry of Health websites in the first instance.