Key points

• The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and will protect you from COVID19.
• All vaccines given in Australia have passed tests to prove they are safe and work well.
• The COVID-19 vaccine is free and you can choose to have the vaccine or not.
•  You need two primary doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• A single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is recommended for people aged 16 years and older who completed their primary course 3 or more months ago.
• An additional booster dose (also known as a winter dose) is recommended for people in the following groups, from 4 months after the first booster dose:
  • people 65 years or older
  • residents of an aged care or disability care facility
  • people who are severely immunocompromised
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 50 years and older.
•  Even if you’ve had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated for additional protection.
• All people aged 5 years and over are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Who is eligible for a booster dose

A single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is recommended for people aged 16 years and older who completed their primary course 3 or more months ago.

An additional booster dose (also known as a winter dose) is recommended for people in the following groups, from 4 months after the first booster dose:

• people 65 years or older
• residents of an aged care or disability care facility
• people who are severely immunocompromised
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 50 years and older.

Who is not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine

•  Children under 5 years of age.

Primary course: vaccine preference recommendations

Adults aged under 60 years

Pfizer or Novavax COVID-19 vaccines are preferred for people aged under 60 years.

Considerations for special populations – people who are immunocompromised.

Adults aged 60 years or older

There is no brand preference for people aged 60 years and older.

People aged 60 years and older receive greater benefit from vaccination than young people. This is because the risk of severe disease from COVID-19 increases with age. The benefit of vaccination in preventing COVID-19 outweighs the risk of TTS in people aged 60 years and older.

For information on third primary doses for severely immunocompromised individuals see: Considerations for special populations – people who are immunocompromised.

There are many causes and varying degrees of immunocompromise. The risk of COVID-19 will vary according to:

• the number and type of underlying conditions
• medical management
• other factors.

*If you have any questions please book a consultation to discuss this with your GP.

Pregnant women

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer) is a recommended vaccine in pregnancy. There is substantial data on their safe use in pregnancy.

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine can also be used in pregnancy. There is no immunogenicity or safety data but there are no theoretical safety concerns.

Booster dose recommendations

A single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is recommended for people aged 16 years and older who completed their primary course 3 or more months ago.

An additional booster dose (also known as a winter dose) is recommended for people in the following groups, from 4 months after the first booster dose:

• people 65 years or older
• residents of an aged care or disability care facility
• people who are severely immunocompromised
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 50 years and older.

For people aged 16 to 17 years, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine registered for use as a booster.

For people aged 18 years and older, Pfizer  COVID-19 vaccines is a preferred vaccine for a booster dose, regardless of which vaccine was used for the primary course.

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is not registered for use as a booster dose, however it can be used as a booster dose in an individual aged 18 or older if no other COVID-19 vaccine brand is suitable for that individual.

The recommended interval between completing the primary COVID-19 vaccine course (the second dose for most vaccine brands) and the first booster dose is 3 months.

The recommended interval between the first booster dose and a second booster dose (for those who are recommended to receive a second booster dose) is 4 months.

There is no upper time limit for the administration of a booster dose. However, vaccine effectiveness wanes over time, and timely receipt of boosters is encouraged for people who will particularly benefit, including:

• people at greater risk of severe COVID-19 – people aged 50 years and older, people with underlying medical conditions, residents of aged care and disability facilities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.
• people at increased occupational risk of COVID-19
• people living in jurisdictions with active community transmission.

The evidence underpinning booster dose recommendations will continue to be reviewed and this clinical guidance may be refined.

The effectiveness of currently available COVID-19 vaccines against the Omicron variant is not yet known. Laboratory studies suggest that a booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 may be required to induce adequate neutralising antibody titres against this variant. For more information see: ATAGI Statement on the Omicron variant and the timing of COVID-19 booster vaccination.

In severely immunocompromised people aged 16 years or older who have been recommended to receive a third dose as part of their primary COVID-19 vaccine course, booster doses (that is, a fourth dose) are recommended 3 months after the most recent dose in the primary course. People in this group are also recommended to have an additional booster (winter dose) from 4 months after the first booster dose.

Booster doses are not yet recommended for people under 16 years of age. This advice will be updated as more information is available.

Considerations for special populations

People who are immunocompromised

COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people who are immunocompromised because of their increased risk of severe illness with COVID-19.

A third primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people aged 5 years or older with severe immunocompromise from 2 months after the second vaccine dose.

This dose is intended to address the risk of lowered or non-response to the standard 2 dose schedule.

An mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer) is recommended for the third dose. This is because most studies of third doses of COVID-19 vaccine in immunocompromised people have used mRNA vaccines.

The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine can be used for the third dose for people who have received Novavax for their first 2 doses, or if there are contraindications to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. There is very limited evidence of the efficacy of Novavax in immunocompromised people.

Severely immunocompromised people aged 16 years or older who have received a third primary dose are recommended to receive:

• a booster dose (a fourth dose), 3 months after the primary course, in line with the general population
• an additional booster dose (a fifth dose), 4 months after the first booster.

More information, including definitions of severe immunocompromise, is available in ATAGI recommendations for the use of a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised.

There are many causes and varying degrees of immunocompromise. The risk of COVID-19 will vary according to:

• the number and type of underlying conditions
• medical management
• other factors.

Immunogenicity studies in immunocompromised populations are limited and immunocompromised populations are clinically diverse. It is difficult to predict anticipated protection against asymptomatic infection, symptomatic infection, hospitalisation and severe disease.

This is because there is no clear correlate of protection from immunogenicity data.

Vaccinated immunocompromised people should be advised to continue taking other protective measures against SARS-CoV-2.

For more details, see the COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for people with immunocompromise and Provider guide to COVID-19 vaccination in people with immunocompromise.

Effectiveness studies in immunocompromised people confirm that it is essential to receive 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, as protection may be suboptimal after a single dose. Estimates of vaccine effectiveness range from 4% to 43%  in partially vaccinated immunocompromised people. These studies were conducted before the widespread dominance of the Delta variant and may reflect effectiveness against older strains.

For more details on vaccine effectiveness in people who are immunocompromised, see COVID-19 vaccine information.

Children and adolescents

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all children and adolescents aged 5 years or older.

Children aged 5 to 11 years 

Two vaccines are available for young children.

• The paediatric formulation of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is registered for use in children aged 5 to 11 years. Children aged 5 to 11 years should not receive the adolescent/adult formulation of the Pfizer vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is the only COVID-19 vaccine registered for children who are 5 years old.

Adolescents aged 12 to 17 years

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is registered for use in people aged 12 years or older.

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is registered in people aged 18 years and older.

Booster doses are not recommended in children aged 5 to 15 years

Booster doses are not recommended for people aged under 16 years.

Severe COVID-19 in children is uncommon and the primary course of COVID-19 vaccines generates a strong immune response. The benefit from additional doses of vaccine is likely to be small and current evidence does not suggest that booster doses are needed at this time.

Benefits of vaccination for children and adolescents

Children aged 5 to 11 years in the following groups are most likely to benefit from COVID-19 vaccination because of their increased risk of severe outcomes and/or exposure:

• children with medical risk factors for severe illness
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• children living in crowded conditions or outbreak areas.

Most children with SARS-CoV-2 infection are asymptomatic or have a mild illness. Adolescents appear to have similar infection rates to adults. But the frequency of severe illness from COVID-19 is lower in adolescents than in adults, with approximately 4% to 7% of adolescents experiencing severe outcomes.

Adolescents and children are accounting for increasing proportions of COVID-19 cases, in the context of vaccinated older age groups. Overall hospitalisation rates for COVID-19 in the adolescent age group are higher than for other viral respiratory diseases such as influenza.

Vaccinating children and adolescents is anticipated to prevent:

• SARS-CoV-2 infections, hospitalisations and deaths due to COVID-19
• paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS).
• post-COVID-19 condition (‘long COVID’).

Pregnancy, breastfeeding or planning pregnancy

Pfizer is a recommended COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women. This is based on the growing body of evidence supporting the safety of mRNA vaccines in pregnancy.

Women aged 16 years or older who are pregnant and had their primary course at least 3 months ago are recommended to receive a booster dose. Pfizer is a preferred brand for the booster dose, regardless of the brand that was given for the primary course.

OUR PATIENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS. THIS INCLUDES ALL GENERAL PRACTICE, MENTAL HEALTH & CARE PLANS, REFERRALS & PRESCRIPTIONS.  BOOK ONLINE NOW OR CALL OUR FRIENDLY RECEPTIONISTS.

*Parking

Anyone arriving at our medical centre that has flu-like symptoms will need to park as close as possible to the clinic. If required please call to request a mask if you are unable to bring your own.

 

*Covid testing

People with coronavirus may experience fever, flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath will be required to self isolate and get a test.

 

If you have been in a hot spot you may have been exposed to Covid-19 and will be required to self isolate and get tested.  Or if you have been in close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case you will be required to self-isolate and get tested.

 

If you are sick and think you have symptoms of Covid-19, please do not attend our practice you will be required to attend our covid testing facility located at 7 Curtis Street, Pimpama.

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For all COVID-19 enquiries please call  QLD HEALTH 1800 020 080 OR VISIT Need More COVID-19 information?