Do COVID-19 vaccines have any side effects?

You may experience minor side effects following vaccination against COVID-19. Most side effects last no more than a couple of days and you'll recover without any problems.

Some people will have more significant flu-like symptoms — for example: fever, chills, muscle pain and feeling tired — from this vaccination compared to others and may need a rest from normal activities.

These symptoms may occur after either dose, but they are more common after the first dose of AstraZeneca's vaccine, called Vaxzevria, and the second dose of Pfizer's vaccine, called Comirnaty.

If you experience pain at the injection site, fever, headaches or body aches in the first 1 to 2 days after vaccination, you can take paracetamol to help reduce any of these symptoms. You don’t need to take paracetamol or ibuprofen before vaccination. If there’s swelling at the injection site, you can use a cold compress.

Serious reactions, such as allergic reactions, are extremely rare. If you have any concerns about your vaccination, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

All injectable vaccines have the potential for an allergic reaction after you are injected. Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction include:

• rash, itching or hives on the skin
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
• shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
• fainting, dizziness or feeling lightheaded (due to a drop in blood pressure)

You should seek medical attention after vaccination if:

• you think you are having an allergic reaction. Call 000 if you experience severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, a fast heartbeat or collapse
• you’re worried about a potential side effect or have new or unexpected symptoms
• you have an expected side effect of the vaccine that hasn’t gone away after a few days

For symptoms that aren’t urgent, you can see your regular healthcare provider — usually your GP. Be sure to tell your doctor that you’ve recently received the vaccination.

You can also enter your symptoms into the healthdirect Side Effect Checker.

Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.

Pfizer vaccine side effects

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provisionally approved the Pfizer vaccine, which is called Comirnaty.

Common side effects include:

• pain or swelling at the injection site
• tiredness
• headache
• muscle pain
• fever and chills
• joint pain

Less common side effects may include:

• redness or itching at the injection site
• nausea
• enlarged lymph nodes
• feeling unwell
• pain in limb
• insomnia

Rare side effects that have been reported after vaccination with Comirnaty include:

• severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

Overseas studies have observed a very small risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) and pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane around the heart) following vaccination with mRNA vaccines. Pfizer's Comirnaty vaccine is an mRNA vaccine.

Seek medical attention if you experience symptoms suggestive of heart inflammation — such as chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations. Palpitations feel like your heart is racing, thumping or skipping beats. Typically, these symptoms have occurred within 1 to 5 days of vaccination, particularly after the second dose of Comirnaty.

Call 000 if you experience severe allergic reactions symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, a fast heartbeat or collapse.

If you experience any side effect and you're worried, speak to your doctor.

Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.

AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) vaccine side effects

The TGA has provisionally approved AstraZeneca's vaccine, which is called Vaxzevria.

If you do experience any side effects, most of them are mild to moderate in nature and resolve within a few days. However, some side effects may need medical attention.

Common side effects may include:

• tenderness, pain, swelling, redness, itching or swelling at the injection site
• feeling unwell
• tiredness
• chills or fever
• headache
• nausea
• muscle pain
• joint pain

Less common side effects may include:

• enlarged lymph nodes
• pain in limb
• dizziness
• decreased appetite
• stomach pain

Rare side effects that have been reported after vaccination with Vaxzevria include:

• severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

A very rare and unusual blood-clotting condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (TTS) has been reported following vaccination with AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria. It is different to other blood-clotting conditions, such as deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).

The symptoms of TTS typically appear between 4 and 42 days after vaccination. People with this condition are very unwell and need to go to hospital, where TTS can be treated effectively.

Symptoms of TTS may include:

• headache that persists for more than 48 hours after vaccination, or appears later than 48 hours after vaccination, which:
• may be relieved by simple painkillers initially, but then persists
• may be worse when lying down
• may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting
• blurred vision
• difficulty speaking
• difficulty breathing
• drowsiness
• seizures or confusion
• chest pain
• swelling in your leg
• persistent abdominal (stomach) pain
• tiny blood spots under the skin, away from the site of injection

The TGA is monitoring reports of suspected Guillain-Barre Syndrome following vaccination with AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria vaccine. However, no causal association with the vaccine has been established at this stage.

Call 000 if you experience severe allergic reactions symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, a fast heartbeat or collapse.

If you experience any side effect and you're worried, speak to your doctor.

How do I report vaccine side effects?

You can report suspected side effects to your vaccination provider or other healthcare professional. They will then make a formal report on your behalf to your state or territory health department or directly to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

If you would prefer to report side effects yourself, visit the TGA website and follow the directions here: tga.gov.au/reporting-problems. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of these vaccines.

Am I exempt from restrictions or wearing masks once vaccinated?

At this stage, restrictions will still apply in your state or territory.

This is because both Pfizer's and AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines have only been shown to help prevent severe illness and death from the disease named COVID-19, which is caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

It’s not yet known whether these vaccines prevent transmission of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. You still need to follow restrictions after being vaccinated.

Wearing a mask is an effective way to help prevent the spread of the virus and in some places, wearing a mask is mandatory regardless of whether you've been vaccinated.

Can I travel overseas once vaccinated?

The advice from the Australian Government has not changed in regard to international travel. There is still a ban on overseas travel from Australia and you can't leave the country unless you have an exemption.

However, people who’ve been in Australia for 14 days are allowed to travel to New Zealand without applying for an outwards travel exemption. If you’re transiting through New Zealand to another destination you must apply for an outward travel exemption.

For more information, visit smartraveller.gov.au.

Do I still need to quarantine when I arrive in Australia if I've been vaccinated overseas?

Anyone travelling to Australia from overseas will still need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, even if they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19.

If you’re coming to Australia, you also need to have a negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result 72 hours or less before the scheduled departure time of your flight (or your first flight if you have a connecting flight during your journey to Australia).

You need to provide evidence of your negative result when you check in at the airport and carry this while you're travelling.

There are a few exemptions from pre-departure testing — such as where PCR testing is not reasonably available. But being vaccinated is not an exemption.

International travellers should also be tested at days 16 or 17 following quarantine — if there have been potential exposure sources within the quarantine facility. This is regardless of whether the traveller has symptoms.

How do I access my vaccination certificate and how do I prove vaccination without Medicare?

There are 2 ways to get proof of COVID-19 vaccination. You can go online to get:

• an immunisation history statement; or
• a COVID-19 digital certificate

Immunisation history statement

Once you've had your COVID-19 vaccination, it will be recorded in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Previously it was voluntary for health providers to add vaccinations to the AIR but due to new legislation, adding all vaccinations — including for COVID-19 — will be mandatory.

Your immunisation history statement is a record of all of your vaccinations that have been added to the Australian Immunisation Register — this will include your COVID-19 vaccination.

You can access your immunisation history statement online through the myGov website or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app — which you can download from the App Store or Google Play. It can be printed or downloaded as proof of your vaccination. If you can’t access myGov or the Medicare app, your doctor or vaccination provider can print your immunisation history statement for you.

You can also call the AIR and ask them to send your statement to you. It can take up to 14 days to arrive in the post. Contact AIR on 1800 653 809, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.

COVID-19 digital certificate

You can also get a COVID-19 digital certificate after you’ve had all required COVID-19 vaccine doses in the required timeframe. The digital certificate only shows COVID-19 vaccines that are approved for use in Australia.

Your vaccination provider needs to report your vaccination information to the Australian Immunisation Register (see above) before you can get a digital certificate.

There are several ways to access your COVID-19 digital certificate:

• via the Express Plus Medicare mobile app — which you can download from the App Store or Google Play
• a print-ready version of the COVID-19 digital certificate is available through:
• your myGov account at my.gov.au
• the Express Plus Medicare mobile app
• your Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) — see ‘If you don’t have Medicare’, below
• you can get a print-ready version of the COVID-19 digital certificate from your vaccination provider
• access via My Health Record will be available soon

Your COVID-19 digital certificate features:

• your name and date of birth
• your IHI — people who have Medicare are also automatically given an IHI. This is because you may have several family members with the same Medicare number.
• a document number — a unique number assigned each time the certificate is downloaded
• a ‘valid from’ date
• the type and dates of your vaccinations

You can add your COVID-19 digital certificate to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay using either:

• the Express Plus Medicare mobile app
• your Medicare online account through myGov

If you don’t have Medicare

If you’re not eligible for Medicare, you’ll need an Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI). You’ll then be able to get your immunisation history statement through your myGov account.

There are 2 ways to get an IHI: online through your myGov account at my.gov.au; or using the form at servicesaustralia.gov.au.

For more information about your COVID-19 vaccination records, visit the COVID-19 vaccinations section at servicesaustralia.gov.au.

What if I don’t want my information in the Australian Immunisation Register?

You must have your vaccinations recorded in the Register, as per the Australian Immunisation Register Act.

However, you can request to not have your personal information further disclosed from the Register. Go to servicesaustralia.gov.au and search for the form ‘IM017’.

Do I need to get tested following vaccination if I develop symptoms?

Some side effects from COVID-19 vaccination, such as fever, might be similar to symptoms of COVID-19 itself. However, neither of the vaccines contain any live SARS-CoV-2 virus and can’t cause COVID-19.

You may not need to get a COVID-19 test or isolate:

• if you develop general symptoms such as fever, headache or tiredness in the first 2 days after vaccination, and
• if you are sure that you don’t have any respiratory symptoms (such as runny nose, cough, sore throat, loss of smell or loss of taste)

However, you should check the current guidelines in your state or territory for the most up-to-date information. This advice may change in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak in your local area.

You may still need to get a COVID-19 test if you meet other criteria — for example, if you are a close contact of a known COVID-19 case.