How long will the COVID-19 vaccine last once I have had 2 doses?
It is not yet known how long the protection of the COVID-19 vaccine will last. We will know more through ongoing research. Clinical trials are currently happening to find out if we will need booster doses on an annual or longer basis.
What we do know is that evidence shows that all of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use In Australia prevent severe disease, people going to hospital and dying.
Protection against getting infected does appear to wane over time. Protection against death and severe disease also drops over time, but more slowly. You can increase your protection by getting a booster from 6 months after your primary course.
All adults can get a booster if it’s been 6 months or longer since their last COVID-19 booster or confirmed infection (whichever is most recent) for additional protection against severe illness from COVID.
This is particularly recommended for people at higher risk of severe illness, including:
- everyone 65 years and over
- everyone 18 years and over with medical comorbidities, disability or complex health needs.
Children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 with health conditions that put them at risk of severe illness can also get a booster dose if it’s been 6 months since their last dose or COVID-19 infection, based on an individual risk assessment with their immunisation provider.
Booster doses are not recommended at this time for children and adolescents aged 18 years or under who do not have any risk factors for severe COVID-19.
The aim of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program is to reduce COVID-19 related harm. Vaccines do this by preventing serious illness and death, and, as much as possible, transmission of the virus that causes disease.
With new COVID-19 vaccine developments every day, it’s normal to have questions or concerns, and possibly feel hesitant about getting a vaccine. That's why we're providing accurate, evidence-based answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines.