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Growing calls for booster shots to be brought forward have finally paid off.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) has fast-tracked the eligibility for a booster yet again, cutting the wait from five months to four and soon, three.
From January 4, 2022, Australians will be able to receive a booster shot four months from their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
That eligibility period will shorten again to three months from the end of January to include more Australians.
Health Minister Greg Hunt also says that states will have the freedom to reduce the timeframe.
In the meantime, here's what the latest changes mean for you.
Who is eligible for one?
Booster shots are available to all fully vaccinated people aged 18 years and older, five months or more from their second COVID-19 dose.
However, the interval for eligibility will shorten to four months as of January 4.
That period will further reduce to three months at the end of January.
ATAGI recommends people who are at greater risk of catching COVID-19 or developing severe illness from the virus get their booster shots promptly. This includes:
- people aged 60 years and older
- people with underlying medical conditions
- people living in aged or disability care
- people who work in high-risk settings
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
How do I know when I have to get a booster?
It's a simple three-step process.
Step One: Check the date on your calendar and confirm the eligibility interval
Step Two: Log into your myGov or Medicare account to access your vaccine certificate and check the date of your second dose
Step Three: Count forward to five, four, or three months from the date of your last dose to work out when you are due.
Do I have to book an appointment?
In most states, you may need to call ahead and book an appointment at participating clinics and pharmacies, but you don't have to return to the same place you received your first two doses.
This can be done through your state or territory website.
However, if you live in Queensland or Western Australia, you are spared from booking for a booster.
You may walk in at any clinics offering the vaccines in Queensland or any state-run clinics in Western Australia.
If you live in New South Wales, you may also be contacted through SMS or email when you are eligible for a booster shot but a booking is still required to get one.
Can I choose which booster to get?
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have both been approved as booster shots.
Most state-run clinics will offer Pfizer, while participating pharmacies will offer Moderna.
You do not need to get the same vaccine as your first or second dose, so you can get either vaccine as a booster shot regardless of which vaccine you have previously received.
However, the AstraZeneca will be offered to people who had:
- a serious adverse reaction to a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine previously
- needed to have two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine previously.
You should check with your GP if you are unsure.
Why do I need a booster and is it effective?
Vaccines help protect against severe disease and death from COVID-19, but boosters are necessary to fight the waning immunity of the vaccine.
With much to learn about Omicron still, the variant's ability to spread quickly has led to accelerated booster rollouts worldwide.
New evidence from both Pfizer and Moderna also shows that a booster shot of either vaccine increases protection against the variant.
However, experts warn that vaccines only make up one part of the equation in containing the spread.
Scanning QR codes, wearing masks, avoiding large crowds and getting tested when necessary are also needed to keep numbers down.
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