GP practices developing their own promotional material to advertise COVID-19 vaccines to patients will be breaking the law and face hefty fines, the TGA says.

The restrictions on advertising prescription drugs direct to the public in Australia mean that those practices offering the vaccines will be banned from posting about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccinations on social media.

Even declarations such as ‘a COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect you and your family from falling seriously ill’ would fall foul of the law, the watchdog said.

And practices will not be allowed to advertise ‘incentives’ for the vaccinations such as a free coffee in the waiting room or showing videos of patients receiving the vaccine and saying: ‘Wow that didn’t hurt at all!’.