(MENAFN – The Conversation)
Australians over the age of 18 will be eligible for a COVID booster from February 20 if they gained a vaccine dose or infection in the past six months.
This means that other people ages 18 to 29 and older who have won all eligible doses will get their fourth dose and those over 30 will get their fifth dose. Children ages 5 to 17 will be eligible for a booster if they have an underlying physical condition, but boosters will not be implemented for other youth at this time.
In Australia, 72. 4% of the population over 16 years of age is fully vaccinated, they have gained at least 3 doses of the original vaccine. But a recent survey found that fewer people were willing to get a booster dose.
So why take a booster?
Read more: Millions of Australians have yet to receive their covid reminders. What message can convince them now?
Over the past week, 18,590 COVID cases were reported in Australia, an average of 2,656 cases per day. However, they all test for COVID or report positive results, so the actual number of cases is likely to be much higher.
The number of COVID hospitalizations and ICU instances decreased from last week, to 1838 and instances respectively. In elder care, there are about 198 instances this week.
While those numbers are low, Australia also reported 226 covid deaths in the last week of January 2023.
As winter approaches and we move into low-circulation indoor spaces, we are setting up a better incubator for the virus and will most likely see the number of cases increase.
Protection against COVID decreases over time. Therefore, the number of doses you won matters less than the date of your last injection.
Booster doses boost immunity to COVID. They decrease the risk of infection, severe illness and hospitalization. However, immunity decreases about 4 to 5 months after vaccination.
In an observational study conducted in the United States, vaccine efficacy against hospitalization within five months of receiving the COVID mRNA booster dose was 79% BA. 1/BA. 2 and 60% BA. 4/BA. 5. This dropped to 41% and 29% five months after vaccination.
It’s still imaginable to contract and spread COVID after a booster dose, but infectious advances are occasionally less severe.
Most Australians have had COVID at least once. By the end of August 2022, two-thirds of adults were infected.
New studies show that “hybrid” immunity, resulting from vaccination and COVID infection, can provide partial coverage against reinfection for up to 8 months.
Read more: How long does immunity to covid-19 last after infection or vaccination?Two immunologists explain
Hybrid immunity provides 97. 4% coverage against severe illness or hospitalization six to 12 months after infection and vaccination.
However, the immunity obtained with booster vaccination fades a little faster.
Currently, there are some vaccines available in Australia. These include: Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax and AstraZeneca.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have bivalent vaccines against the original strain and BA. 1. These will have to be used as a booster, with 4 million doses available lately and another ten million arriving this month.
Pfizer and Moderna have obtained provisional approval for their BA. 4/BA. 5 edition, however, they are not yet available in Australia.
All available vaccines deserve to be offering some benefits. However, Omicron-specific mRNA booster vaccines are preferred, as they appear to offer greater coverage against serious disease than boosters using the original formulation.
Whichever vaccine you receive, a booster will help you with severe symptoms of the disease, hospitalizations, and decrease your chances of prolonged covid. It will also help others, especially if they are older, immunocompromised, or from a vulnerable population.
The date of your last COVID vaccine can be found on your virtual COVID certificate available on Medicare or on my fitness record.
If you receive a booster, immunity takes about 14 days to activate. Antibody levels begin to decline after 3 months, before falling more sharply after 4 to 6 months.
While COVID is different from seasonal flu, COVID rates have already increased over the winter. There have even been reports of double infection, “flurona”.
The Australian Technical Advisory Panel on Vaccination (ATAGI) in particular recommends that in the face of the threat of severe COVID illness (other people over 65 or young adults who have underlying medical conditions, disability or complex fitness desires) get a booster dose in 2023.
Side effects of the vaccine are common, such as pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, joint or muscle pain, and fever or chills. These disappear in a day or two.
Read more: Do covid boosters cause more or fewer side effects?How temporarily is coverage declining? Answers to your questions
Some rare side effects have been reported, including thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (blood clotting disorder), myocarditis (inflammation of the central muscle), anaphylaxis (allergic reaction), Guillain-Barré syndrome (immune formula attacks nerves) and immune thrombocytopenia. (weak bleeding disorder).
Although those are rare events, it is to know them.
You can book your COVID booster now on the vaccine clinic locator or text “hey eva” to 0481 611 382, an undeniable reminder service to book COVID vaccines.
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