Q fever cases have nearly doubled. Now the only vaccine is gone until Christmas

If you start work in a shearing shed, an abattoir or a dairy this month, there is no Q fever vaccine for you.

CSL Seqirus, which makes Q-VAX in Melbourne under a long-term federal government agreement and is the only supplier of a Q fever vaccine in Australia, has confirmed the country is out of stock from this week. The company says two batches have been brought forward from its new facilities, with doses expected before Christmas and more in early January.

“We know this situation is difficult and we’re sorry that people and businesses are being impacted,” said Chris Larkins, the company’s senior vice-president of operations. He said the company was working around the clock to restore supply.

What went wrong?

The company has pointed to two problems: trouble sourcing raw materials over the past year, and unexpected faults in an electronic system on the lines that fill the vaccine. Together they stopped three or four batches being released.

That matters more for Q-VAX than for most vaccines, because it cannot be made quickly. The bacteria are grown in eggs, then killed, purified and modified, and each batch takes about nine months. A lost batch cannot simply be remade before the next season.

It is not a sudden crisis. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has listed Q-VAX as in limited supply since 12 January 2026, with the company controlling who gets stock, and the regulator’s expected end date for the shortage is 31 January 2027. This week the limited supply ran out altogether.

Who needs this vaccine?

Q fever is caught from animals, most often sheep, cattle and goats. The bacteria live in birth fluids and placentas, survive for long periods in soil and dust, and overseas studies have found they can travel kilometres on the wind. The people most at risk are those who handle livestock or their products: farmers, shearers, meat processing workers, vets, stock agents and many students in those fields. Meat processors make the vaccine a condition of work.

Associate Professor Katrina Bosward, of the University of Sydney’s School of Veterinary Science, said the shortage was a real concern for livestock industries. “The vaccine is really, really effective at preventing Q fever if people are able to get it,” she said.

How bad is Q fever?

It is often described as the worst flu you could ever have: high fevers, savage headaches, muscle pain and exhaustion, with a high rate of hospital admission. It responds well to antibiotics, but some people develop a long-lasting illness, and in some cases it damages the heart.

And it is becoming more common. Bosward said notifications ran at 400 to 600 a year until about two years ago and have since climbed to between 800 and almost 1,000. She said it was unclear how much of that rise is better testing and how much is more infection. Cattle Australia called last year for $3 million in government funding to help develop a new vaccine after a spike in cases, particularly in Victoria.

Why can’t workers just get the jab later?

Because Q-VAX is not a walk-in shot. People need a skin test and a blood test first, since vaccinating someone who has already been exposed can cause a severe reaction, and protection takes about two weeks to build after the injection. A worker who starts in December may not be covered until well into the new year, through the peak of summer work.

The federal Department of Health has said CSL Seqirus is responsible for manufacturing and supply, including how stock is shared out.

What should people do now?

Bosward’s advice is to check again with a GP or vaccine provider in January. Anyone with questions about their own risk should talk to their doctor. Supply questions can go to CSL Seqirus on 1800 642 865.