COVID-19 vaccination is available to children age 6 months and older to give them protection against serious COVID-19 illness.
For people under 16, a parent or legal guardian must give consent for their vaccination.
Where to get your child vaccinated
There are different ways to get your child vaccinated, depending on their age.
Who should get vaccinated
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommends that your child gets their first round (primary) COVID-19 vaccination if they have a:
- weak immune system
- medical condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19
There are different recommendations for the seasonal COVID-19 booster dose.
Benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccination gives your child the best available protection from getting seriously ill from COVID-19 if they are at higher risk from the virus.
Vaccination may also protect healthy children from:
- COVID-19 illness which can be severe in very rare cases
- multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), also called PIMS - a rare COVID-19 complication that can affect children
- ‘long COVID' symptoms, such as fatigue - these can continue for weeks or months
- spreading COVID-19 to others
COVID-19 infection
Most children who get COVID-19 have very mild symptoms or no symptoms. But children who get COVID-19 should avoid contact with other people even if their symptoms are mild.
Serious illness is rare
COVID-19 rarely causes serious illness, hospitalisation or death in children. The risk of a child needing hospital care because of COVID-19 is low. The risk of a child needing intensive care treatment is extremely low.
Serious illness and hospitalisation rates are low for children age 6 months to 4 years, compared to older children.
Children with certain health conditions are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. They are more likely to have to go to hospital with COVID-19.
Sometimes, symptoms linked to COVID-19 can continue for weeks or months. This is called long COVID. The risk of having long COVID is lower in children compared to adults.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome or PIMS
In rare cases, COVID-19 can cause a condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). This is also called PIMS. It causes pneumonia, inflammation of the heart and difficulty breathing. PIMS is more rarely seen following Omicron variant COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of MIS-C or PIMS in older children and adolescents. A similar benefit is expected in children age 6 months to 4 years.
About 3 out of 4 children who develop MIS-C or PIMS have no underlying health condition. Most children with PIMS recover after time in hospital or intensive care. But some children have lasting side effects and a very small number can die. This condition is known to affect children as young as 3 months.
If your child had MIS-C or PIMS
If your child is 6 months or older and had PIMS, they can get a COVID-19 vaccine. They should wait until they have recovered and at least 90 days after they were diagnosed.
If your child is getting other vaccines
If your child has recently had their routine childhood vaccines, they should wait 14 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
If your child has recently had the mpox vaccine, wait 4 weeks before they get their COVID-19 vaccine. This is a precaution because of the unknown risk of myocarditis.
To make an appointment for COVID-19 vaccination for your child under age 12, call HSELive on freephone 1800 700 700. Tell them about any vaccines your child got recently. The person arranging the appointment can take recent vaccinations into account.
Side effects
COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild or moderate in children and do not last long. Side effects can include a sore arm, fever or tiredness.
Giving consent for vaccination
Anyone under 16 must attend their vaccination with a parent or legal guardian.
A parent or legal guardian must be there in person to give consent. You need to give consent for each dose.
The child getting the vaccine will also be asked if they want to get the vaccine at their appointment.
The vaccinator or your GP can answer questions you might have about the vaccine.
If it's not possible for a parent or legal guardian to be at the appointment, freephone HSELive 1800 700 700 for advice.
Registering your child
You can register your child at their appointment. This must be done by a parent or legal guardian. You will need to bring their PPS number with you. You only need to do this for dose 1.
Your first appointment will be a few minutes longer but you do not need to arrive earlier.
Children with additional needs
Some children getting their vaccine may need:
- more time at their appointment
- a quieter appointment time with fewer people
If your child has additional needs, call HSELive on freephone 1800 700 700 for advice.