How vaccine decisions are made and can we trust them

Independence

ATAGI is responsible for making recommendations about vaccine use to the Australian Government. 

To help ensure it is unbiased, all medical and scientific experts who are members of ATAGI are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest. 

If an expert receives any financial benefit from vaccine sales or pharmaceutical companies, they are removed from ATAGI.

ATAGI is supported by government but provides expert advice independently.  
 

Evidence

ATAGI’s recommendations are based on review of:

  • published studies, including laboratory studies and clinical trials  
  • yet-to-be published data, if available
  • real-world evidence from countries already using the vaccine
  • Australia’s unique health needs, including at-risk groups, access issues and disease patterns. 

NCIRS supports ATAGI’s processes, which align with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, a systematic and transparent methodology for guideline development recommended by international guideline development bodies such as the World Health Organization.

Details on the development process are summarised in the ATAGI decision-making process for developing clinical recommendations in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
 

Safety

Once a vaccine is made available to the Australian public, the TGA and AusVaxSafety monitor side effects and continuously review new evidence from Australia and overseas on vaccine safety.

This ensures any concerns are looked at promptly, safety warnings are issued and vaccine recommendations are updated if needed. 

More information about vaccine safety monitoring.  
 

Transparency

The findings and recommendations of ATAGI and the TGA are published online so that people can see how decisions have been made. 

Last updated September 2025