Australians were getting this vaccine for free. Now they could pay up to $180

IN BRIEF:There is no national set price for private COVID-19 vaccines, with prices varying across pharmacies.Experts have said that, while costs could deter some, at-risk populations should be the priority.

Australians could now pay anywhere up to $180 for a COVID-19 vaccination, depending on which pharmacy they attend, with one retailer telling SBS News it was unlikely to stock it at all.

On 1 October, the COVID-19 vaccine was moved into the routine National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule, replacing the standalone National COVID-19 Vaccine Program established during the pandemic that offered free jabs.

While the NIP will continue to cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccinations for at-risk cohorts, such as older Australians and severely immunocompromised people, those who are ineligible will have to pay an out-of-pocket cost to get the jab.

With no nationally set price, vaccination providers have discretion to set costs for those ineligible under the NIP.

SBS News identified significant price differences across Australian pharmacies, with one TerryWhite Chemmart outlet charging $120 while consumers were paying $179.99 at Chemist Warehouse stores Australia-wide.

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A spokesperson from Priceline Pharmacies told SBS News that, as each of its outlets was independently owned and operated, the decision to offer COVID-19 vaccinations and set their prices was made on a store-by-store basis.

One Priceline store in Sydney’s CBD quoted the private cost of the vaccine at $130.

Another in the Melbourne CBD said that, while they weren’t currently offering the vaccine for people not covered by the NIP, they were expecting to charge a price similar to Chemist Warehouse’s $179.99.

Another nearby Priceline store said that, due to the wholesale cost, it was unlikely to stock the private vaccine.

A spokesperson for Terry White Chemmart wasn’t available to comment, but SBS News identified that prices for the shot across the chain’s locations ranged from $120 in Melbourne CBD to $170 in central Adelaide.

No national set price or requirement to stock

Anna Theophilos, who owns a TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacy, told SBS News that the high wholesale price for the private vaccine meant pharmacists would make “business decisions” based on demand, including whether to stock the vaccine.

Theophilos, who is also the inaugural national vaccination ambassador at the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, said minimum order requirements and the expiration date of current stock were key issues.

“The current vaccine has a short expiry date of February, which is contributing to the hesitation,” she told SBS News.

“Usually we have a longer expiry date and pharmacists have agreements with wholesalers to ensure suppliers can buy back expired stock.”

She said an agreement between wholesalers and pharmacies regarding expired stock would be the “final piece that comes into play”.

Australia ‘can’t provide every vaccine free’

Under the NIP, the COVID-19 vaccination is available for free to adults aged 75 and over every six months, and adults aged 65 to 74 every 12 months.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 to 74 also remain eligible for an annual dose, as do adults aged 18 and over who are severely immunocompromised.

University of New South Wales School of Population Health professor Holly Seale said that, while the price of a private COVID-19 vaccine might deter some Australians, the decision to move it onto the NIP was the right one.

She said it would align Australia with other countries and ensure people who most needed the vaccine received it as part of a broader package of adult vaccinations.

“The government has to assess who is most at risk and where vaccines will have the greatest impact,” she told SBS News.

“We can’t provide every vaccine free of charge, nor do we need to.”

Seale said the decision prioritised those more likely to be hospitalised, and was based on available evidence and international data.

New vaccines are in development that could see two vaccines combined, for example COVID-19 and flu, that could mean the cost of an individual vaccine is reduced, she said.

“We are in a transition phase, but I think there are lots of new developments happening around the COVID vaccine that we just have to wait for, and see what happens.”

The latest respiratory surveillance report shows that only 8 per cent of Australians received a COVID-19 vaccination in the past year, compared with the influenza vaccine at 30.5 per cent.

Cost was reported as a barrier by about a quarter of people who experienced difficulty getting a flu vaccine, according to Australia’s National Vaccine Insights Survey.

Theophilos said it “would be naïve to say the price won’t deter some people”.

“Of course it will. But I think it will ultimately come down to people understanding their individual risk and whether vaccination is recommended for them.”

Australians ‘lagging’ behind new vaccines

Earlier reporting from SBS News revealed that the latest COVID-19 vaccine tailored for new variants remained unavailable in Australia.

Pfizer and BioNTech’s latest COVID-19 vaccine, adapted to target the XFG subvariant, was approved in the United States for the 2026-27 season, following international guidance to more closely match vaccines with contemporary circulating variants.

While Australia does not yet have that formulation registered, Seale said it wouldn’t be the main factor affecting vaccine uptake, adding that Australia had managed similar strain updates with influenza vaccines for many years.

“There are a lot of factors involved in vaccine procurement and supply. Just because an updated vaccine becomes available internationally doesn’t mean it’s immediately possible to secure enough doses locally,” she said.

Pfizer and BioNTech’s LP.8.1-adapted COVID-19 vaccine was registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods in late 2025 and became available in Australia in December.

Moderna’s LP.8.1 formulation has also been registered in Australia.

A ‘positive step’

While the private COVID-19 vaccine rollout was still in its early stages, Theophilos said she was pleased to hear reports of customers undeterred by the new price.

“Australians place a lot of value on their health, and sometimes we underestimate that. People who are proactive about staying up to date with recommended vaccinations may still choose to receive the vaccine despite the cost,” she said.

“It’s something we’ll need to assess once people actually have the opportunity to purchase it.”

Seale said it was important to recognise that moving the vaccine onto the NIP was a “positive step” that ensured coverage was targeted toward those who needed it most.

“If people do feel they’re at risk, or if there’s an increase in cases in their community, they still have the option to purchase the vaccine privately.”

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