The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has announced that COVID-19 vaccines will transition to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) from 1 October 2026, replacing the stand-alone National COVID-19 Vaccine Program (NCVP) established during the Australia’s pandemic response.

Under the NIP, eligibility for funded COVID-19 vaccines will change, with free COVID-19 vaccines available only to people at highest risk of severe disease:

• all adults aged 75 years and over (one dose every 6 months)
• adults aged 65–74 years (one dose every 12 months)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50–74 years (one dose every 12 months)
• all adults aged 18 years and over with severe immunocompromise (one dose every 12 months).

People who are not eligible for a funded COVID-19 vaccine may choose to purchase the vaccine privately based on a benefit-risk discussion with their healthcare provider.