Your healthcare provider can best advise on whether or not you should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. However, based on available evidence, people with the following health conditions should generally be excluded from COVID-19 vaccination in order to avoid possible adverse effects:
- If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to any ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- If you are currently sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, although you should get vaccinated as soon as possible according to the guidelines below.
If you are COVID-19 positive and asymptomatic, you should monitor yourself for 7 days for development of any symptoms, take enhanced precautions (mask wearing and social distancing) including avoiding attending settings where many people gather.
If you are positive, you should wait at least 10 days before going for vaccination. It is not dangerous if you go sooner, however your vaccine response will be better if you wait a while.
After mild COVID-19 you can have your COVID-19 vaccine 30 days after recovering from the acute infection. This is usually around 40 days after your first symptoms.
After severe COVID-19 (needing oxygen) you need to wait 90 days for your vaccine.
After acute illness (not COVID-19), especially flu-like symptoms, you should delay your vaccine until you are well.
If you have had another vaccine e.g the flu vaccine, you no longer need to wait after the other vaccine before having your COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccines may also be co-administered with other vaccines. This may be at the same visit, or at another visit without regard to timing.
This advice was changed on 20 February 2022.