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More Vaccine Information

Covid Boosters

Covid and Flu vaccine can be given together

All adults can get a booster if it has been 6 months or longer since their last COVID-19 booster or confirmed COVID-19 infection (whichever is most recent).

Boosters are particularly recommended for people at higher risk of severe illness, including:

  • all adults aged 65 years and over; and
  • adults aged 18 years and over who have medical comorbidities, disability or complex health needs.

The following groups should consider a booster based on an individual risk benefit assessment with their immunisation provider:

  • all adults aged 18–64 years without risk factors for severe COVID-19; and
  • children and adolescents aged 5–17 years who have medical comorbidities that increase their risk of severe COVID-19, or disability with significant or complex health needs.

Booster doses are not currently recommended for children and adolescents under the age of 18 who do not have any risk factors for severe COVID-19, or for any children aged less than 5 years.

COVID-19 vaccines can be co-administered with influenza and other vaccines. People should aim to receive a 2023 COVID-19 booster dose before June 2023 ahead of winter, particularly those at higher risk.

Vaccine types for booster doses

The Pfizer (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax) Omicron-specific bivalent vaccines are preferred for booster doses regardless of which vaccine you received for your primary doses. However, any age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccine will provide additional protection against infection and longer lasting protection against severe disease.

Safety of COVID-19 booster doses

  • Common, mild side effects following a booster dose are similar to the side effects following the primary doses.
  • Serious side effects such as myocarditis and pericarditis following a Pfizer (Comirnaty) or Moderna (Spikevax) booster doses are rare.

Difference between additional doses and boosters

  • Additional doses are for severely immunocompromised people as part of their primary course. Additional doses are not the same as booster doses.
  • Severely immunocompromised people aged five and over are strongly encouraged to receive a third primary dose of the COVID-19 vaccine two months after the second dose. This is because you may have a decreased immune response to the standard COVID-19 vaccination schedule and be more at risk of severe COVID-19. This additional dose is to maximise your level of immune response to as close as possible to the general population.

Vaccination records and certificates

If you need proof of your full vaccination course, download your Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) through:

  • the myGov website using your Medicare online account
  • the Medicare Express Plus app
  • My Health Record
  • if you don't have a Medicare card, by calling 1800 653 809.

Vaccination after having COVID-19

Even if you’ve had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated. If you have been vaccinated, you are far less likely to get severe disease if you get COVID-19 again.

You must not attend a vaccination appointment if you have any COVID-19 symptoms.

 

Flu Vaccine

Flu and Covid vaccines can be given together on same day

Who should receive a flu vaccine?

The Australian Government recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months has a flu vaccine every year. It’s difficult to predict who will catch the flu, or who will become seriously ill from it. The flu can require someone to be hospitalised and it can even be fatal.

Getting vaccinated against the flu helps protect both you and the people around you. It’s particularly important to protect vulnerable people in the community who can’t be vaccinated, such as babies who are younger than 6 months and adults with low immunity.

When should I have the flu vaccine?

For most people, the best time to have your flu vaccine is from April onwards, so that you have had your vaccine before the start of the peak flu season. The protection from the flu vaccine starts to decline after 3-4 months, so having your flu vaccine in April means that you still have optimal protection during the peak June-August flu season. However, you may need to have your flu vaccine earlier or repeated later for other reasons e.g. travel or work purposes,  In any case – it’s never too late to vaccinate!

Do I need a flu vaccine every year?

You need a flu vaccination each year as the flu virus frequently changes. The flu vaccine is updated every year according to the most common strains likely to affect Australia during the winter season. The benefit of the flu vaccine tends to wear off after three to four months.

 

Who is eligible for free vaccinations?

The National Immunisation Program provides government-funded vaccines for those most at risk, including: pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; people aged 65 years and older; people with certain medical risk factors. For others the private flu vax costs $20

Will I experience any side effects?

Less than 15% of people experience side effects from the flu vaccine that are similar to the early signs of the flu. These may include fever, tiredness and muscle aches. These side effects can start within a few hours of your being vaccinated and sometimes last for 1 or 2 days. They usually go away on their own, once your body has developed an immune response to the vaccine, which will protect you from the flu virus.

It’s important to remember that the side effects show the vaccine is triggering an immune response, which is what it’s designed to do.

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