COVID-19 Vaccination in New Zealand

❍ At a glance

• Current NZ vaccine is the LP.8.1 variant mRNA vaccine (Pfizer Comirnaty). Unvaccinated adults and adolescents aged 12 and over: single primary dose (30 µg). Boosters every 6 months for age 30 and over; routine recommendation is strongest for age 75+, residents of aged care and disability care facilities, Maori and Pacific people aged 50+, and anyone aged 16+ with specified conditions. Healthy adults aged 30-64: eligible but not actively recommended as of 2026.
• Conditions where ongoing 6-monthly vaccination is recommended (age 16+): cancer diagnosed or treated in the past 5 years, diabetes requiring medication, chronic lung disease (including severe asthma), chronic heart/kidney/liver disease, chronic neurological disease, chronic inflammatory conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), HIV, severe obesity or severe underweight, disability with complex health needs.¹
• Recommended in pregnancy at any stage and safe during breastfeeding. Age 5 and over: free. Age 6 months to 4 years: recommended only if the child has medical conditions placing them at higher risk of severe COVID-19.
• Myocarditis: uncommon adverse event, most often in young males after mRNA vaccine. Most cases are mild and resolve with rest but require medical review. Symptoms: chest pain, dyspnoea, or palpitations within days of vaccination. The risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection itself substantially exceeds the vaccine risk.³

❍ Patient information

This section is written in patient-friendly language and can be used as a basis for consultation or directed reading.

The COVID-19 vaccine programme has changed considerably since 2021. The current approach is more targeted than it once was, recognising that immunity from prior infection and vaccination has shifted the risk picture for most healthy adults. What has not changed is the importance of vaccination for people who are genuinely at risk of severe illness, and the value of a conversation with your GP about what that means for you specifically.

What vaccine is currently available? The vaccine available in New Zealand is the LP.8.1 variant mRNA vaccine (Pfizer Comirnaty). LP.8.1 is an Omicron subvariant that has been circulating widely. Like previous updated formulations, this version is designed to improve the match between the vaccine strain and what is currently circulating in the community - though mRNA COVID vaccines continue to provide cross-protection across Omicron subvariants regardless of exact match.¹

Who should get vaccinated? Anyone aged 12 years and over who has never received any COVID-19 vaccine is recommended to have a single dose. For children under 12, eligibility depends on age and health conditions. If you are aged 30 or over, you are eligible for a funded booster every six months. Whether a booster is actively recommended - rather than simply available - depends on your age and health. The groups with the most to gain from ongoing six-monthly vaccination include people aged 75 and over, residents of aged care and disability care facilities, Maori and Pacific people aged 50 and over, and people aged 16 and over with certain medical conditions including cancer, diabetes requiring medication, chronic lung disease, chronic heart or kidney or liver disease, chronic neurological disease, chronic inflammatory conditions, HIV, severe obesity, and disability with complex health needs.¹ If you are a healthy adult aged 30 to 64, you can access funded vaccination every six months if you want it, but it is not routinely recommended for people in good health at this age - the updated guidance reflects lower clinical risk in this group given background immunity from prior infection and earlier vaccination rounds.² If you are aged 16 to 29 and healthy, additional doses beyond primary vaccination are not generally recommended. This reflects the low risk of severe disease at this age, not a concern about vaccine safety.

How often? The standard minimum interval is six months since your last COVID-19 vaccine dose. For people aged 75 and over, or others considered at high risk of severe disease from reinfection, a shorter interval of three months may be appropriate.¹ Your GP or vaccinator can advise on what timing makes sense for your situation.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and young children: the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is recommended during pregnancy and can be given at any stage. COVID-19 carries a higher risk of severe illness in pregnancy, and vaccination also protects your newborn through passive antibody transfer.³ The vaccine is safe during breastfeeding; there is no need to pause breastfeeding before or after vaccination. For children aged 5 and over, the vaccine is free. For children between 6 months and 4 years, vaccination is recommended only if they have medical conditions placing them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

What side effects can I expect? Common side effects are mild and typically settle within one to two days: a sore arm at the injection site, fatigue, headache, mild fever, and muscle aches. These are signs of an immune response, not signs that something has gone wrong. Serious side effects are rare. Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) is an uncommon but recognised adverse event, occurring most often in young males after an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose. Most cases are mild and resolve with rest, though they require medical review. The symptoms to watch for are chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations appearing within a few days of vaccination.³ It is worth knowing that the risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection itself substantially exceeds the risk from vaccination.

Does natural infection count? Prior infection does provide some immune protection, but its extent and durability vary depending on the severity of the infection, the variant involved, and how long ago it occurred. Vaccination after infection generally strengthens and broadens immunity.¹ Current NZ guidance does not treat prior infection as a substitute for vaccination in higher-risk groups. If you have recently had COVID-19, it is generally recommended to wait at least three months before a vaccine dose.

COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are reviewed regularly as circulating variants shift and new evidence accumulates. This page reflects guidance current at the time of writing in May 2026. For the most current position, the Immunisation Advisory Centre and Health New Zealand maintain up-to-date resources, linked in the sidebar.