At your COVID-19 vaccination appointment

Getting your COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you and others in your community from COVID-19.

Preparing for your appointment

Preparing for your appointment will help the process go smoothly.

What to bring

Bring these items with you to your vaccination appointment:

• photo ID
• your Medicare card, if you have one
• employee ID (if being vaccinated through your employer)
• information about any of your medical conditions
• information about any medications you are taking
• information about any vaccine you have had in the past 7 days
• information about any previous COVID-19 vaccine you may have been given (the brand and date it was given to you)
• if attending as a primary carer, documentation to prove your relationship to the dependent person such as an Advanced Health Directive, Enduring Power of Attorney or Primary carer’s photo identification or employee identification.

If possible, wear a short-sleeved shirt so that it’s easy for the vaccination provider to access your upper arm.

At your appointment

Allow around 45 minutes for your whole appointment. There are 3 stages to your vaccine appointment.

Patient screening

The first step is a patient screening, where your vaccination provider will gather your details. You will be asked to provide identification and your Medicare details.

You should let your vaccination provider know if you have:

• any severe allergies, particularly anaphylaxis (to anything), or carry or have been prescribed an adrenaline autoinjector (e.g. EpiPen™)
• had a reaction to a vaccine in the past or ingredients of vaccines
• any bleeding issues or are receiving anticoagulant therapy (a blood thinner)
• any respiratory symptoms
• received another COVID-19 vaccine
• received any vaccine in the past 7 days.

When you arrive for your appointment, let a staff member know if you need an interpreter. This can be arranged for you and it is free.

Getting your vaccination

You will then receive your vaccination from your vaccination provider. Vaccination providers are medical professionals trained in giving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Your vaccination provider will explain to you the details of the vaccine you are receiving and ask for your consent to receive it. They will inject the vaccine into your upper arm.

It’s okay if you feel nervous about getting the injection. Tell your vaccine provider that you’re feeling nervous or scared so they can help you to feel more relaxed and follow these tips on coping with needle anxiety.

Observation

After your vaccination, you will be asked to wait for observation to make sure you don’t have an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Allergic reactions are rare but require immediate medical attention.

You will be asked to wait for at least 15 minutes after your vaccination. If you have a history of severe allergy, you will be asked to wait for 30 minutes.

After receiving your COVID-19 vaccine

You may not be fully protected after getting your vaccine for 14 days, so it is very important to keep practising physical distancing, hand hygiene and wearing a mask when necessary.

You may experience some side effects after getting your vaccination. Most side effects last no more than a couple of days and you will recover without any problems. However, some side effects may need medical attention. Read more about side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines and when to seek medical attention.

Some side effects from COVID-19 vaccination might be similar to symptoms of COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any live virus and cannot cause COVID-19. You do not need to get a COVID-19 test or isolate if you:

• develop general symptoms like a fever, headache or tiredness in the first two days after vaccination
• do not have any respiratory symptoms like a runny nose, cough, sore throat, loss of smell or loss of taste.

If your symptoms continue for more than a couple of days, you should consult a medical professional.

When to reschedule your appointment

You should not attend your COVID-19 vaccination appointment if you:

• are unwell with fever, cough, runny nose or other symptoms that could be from COVID-19
• are awaiting COVID-19 test results
• have tested positive with COVID-19 and you are in isolation
• are in quarantine as a close contact of someone with COVID-19.

You will need to reschedule your appointment for vaccination. If you need assistance with rescheduling your appointment, call 134 COVID (13 42 68).