Free shingles vaccine: who qualifies in Australia

About one in three people will get shingles in their lifetime, and the risk climbs with age: around half of people who live to 80 will have had it. For most it is a painful rash that clears in a few weeks. For roughly one in ten, the nerve pain lingers for months or years afterwards, a complication called post-herpetic neuralgia.

A vaccine that sharply cuts that risk is free for many older Australians under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). Many people who qualify have not had it yet, and plenty of others are unsure whether they qualify at all. This guide covers who gets it free, how the two doses work, what it costs if you pay, and how to get it at a pharmacy.

Who gets the shingles vaccine free

The NIP funds a two-dose course of the recombinant shingles vaccine for:

people aged 65 and over;
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and over;
people aged 18 and over at higher risk of shingles because of certain medical conditions or treatments that weaken the immune system.

The third group covers specific conditions listed in the Australian Immunisation Handbook, such as blood cancers, advanced kidney disease or dialysis, stem cell transplant, some chemotherapy, and several medicines that suppress the immune system. Not every immunocompromising condition is on the list, so if you think you might qualify, ask your GP or specialist.

The vaccine has been on the NIP since 1 November 2023. The older live shingles vaccine is no longer available in Australia.

How the two doses work

The course is two doses:

Most people: the second dose 2 to 6 months after the first.
People who are immunocompromised: the second dose 1 to 2 months after the first.

If more than six months pass between doses, you do not need to start again; just get the second dose. No booster is currently recommended, and protection remains good at ten years.

In studies, the vaccine was 91% effective at preventing post-herpetic neuralgia in healthy adults aged 50 and over.

Special situations

You had the old live vaccine. If it was given free under the NIP, you become eligible for the free recombinant vaccine five years after that dose. If you paid for the live vaccine privately and you are now eligible, you can have the free course. In either case, wait at least 12 months after the live vaccine.

You paid for your first dose. If you bought dose one privately and have since become eligible, for example by turning 65, your second dose is free.

You have had shingles. Healthy people should usually wait at least 12 months after an episode before vaccination. People who are immunocompromised can be vaccinated from three months after.

If you are not eligible

The Handbook recommends the vaccine for everyone aged 50 and over, not only those who get it free. People aged 50 to 64 who are not First Nations or immunocompromised can still be vaccinated, but they pay. You will need a prescription from your doctor.

Prices vary. In October 2026, one large pharmacy chain listed the vaccine at about $280 a dose, which comes to roughly $560 or more for the full course, before any prescription or injection fee. Ask the pharmacy for its total price before booking.

Getting it at a pharmacy

Pharmacists in every state and territory can give the shingles vaccine to adults, and many pharmacies offer it.

If you are eligible for a free dose, pharmacies in the national pharmacy vaccination program are paid by the government and cannot charge you an extra fee. Pharmacies outside that program may charge a service fee, though not for the vaccine itself. Ask about fees when you book.

The shingles vaccine can be given at the same visit as other non-live vaccines, including flu, COVID-19, pneumococcal and RSV vaccines. Every dose is recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register, which helps when your second dose is due at a different pharmacy or clinic.

Practical Example: A 66-year-old in Hobart realises at her flu vaccine appointment that she has never had the shingles vaccine. The pharmacist confirms she is eligible for the free course, gives the first dose in her other arm at the same visit, and books her second dose for about three months later, in time to finish the course before winter. She pays nothing for either dose.

Finding a pharmacy

Use search for pharmacies to find one offering shingles vaccination near you, or browse by state, such as pharmacies in Tasmania or pharmacies in Queensland. Many also offer flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccination; see our guide to who gets a free COVID vaccine if you are planning several at once.

If you already have shingles, some pharmacies in some states can assess and treat it. See shingles diagnosis and treatment, and see a doctor promptly if the rash is near your eye.