Vaccine safety

For the public

Vaccines save millions of lives worldwide every year. Vaccines have dramatically reduced deaths and disability from vaccine preventable diseases in Australia and globally. Vaccines protect not only the person receiving the vaccine but also those around them by reducing the spread of the disease.

Vaccine safety is assessed and monitored on an ongoing basis in Australia. Like other medicines, all vaccines can cause mild side effects such as fever and pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. These side effects usually resolve on their own within a couple of days. Some vaccines can cause more serious side effects. If you are worried about a side effect after vaccination, talk to your healthcare provider.

After vaccination

What is normal after vaccination? Some people may experience side effects, or adverse events, after getting a vaccine. Usually these are mild and go away on their own after 2–3 days. Babies and infants After a baby or an infant gets a vaccine, they may experience some mild and temporary side effects: