COVID Vaccinations
About the Vaccination
Having a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is one way we can protect our community against coronavirus. COVID-19 vaccines help to prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19, and they are free for everyone in Australia.
Our practice is an approved vaccination provider for COVID-19 vaccines. We are happy to help provide COVID-19 immunisations for our local area and wider community.
June 2023 Update on Vaccine Availability
The following COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available in Australia:
- Moderna 6 months to 5 years formulation (blue cap/purple stripe)
- Moderna ≥6 years formulation (red cap)
- AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Source: Australian Government Department of Health
COVID-19 Vaccines
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
Comirnaty (Pfizer) is approved for use in people aged 12 years and over.
The TGA provisionally approved it for use in Australia on 25 January 2021 (for 16 years and over) and 22 July 2021 (for 12 years and over).
In Australia's vaccine rollout, the Pfizer vaccine is now available for all people aged 12 years and over.
You need 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, given between 3 and 6 weeks apart. You may not be fully protected against COVID-19 until 7 to 14 days after your second dose.
Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine
Novavax, also called Nuvaxovid or NVX-CoV2373, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax. It is an adjuvant protein subunit vaccine. It uses a version of the spike protein on the COVID-19 virus and adjuvants within the vaccine that mimic the way the real virus would activate your immune system to boost your immune system and provide protection.
The adjuvants are based on a natural product known as saponin, an extract from tree bark. The spike proteins resemble the structure of the COVID-19 virus; however, once injected they cannot replicate and give you COVID-19. It does not contain any live component of the virus.
The Novavax vaccine is expected to be available in Australia in late February 2022. Further information is available on the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Kids 5-11 years Pfizer Immunisations
The minimum age for children to get a COVID-19 vaccine is 5 years in Australia.23
The recommended vaccine for children aged 5–11 years is the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (orange topped 10ug). For adolescents aged 12 years and older, either the adult Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (purple topped 30ug) or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can be used.
Moderna is trialling the use of its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax in children under 12 years of age. The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria) is not registered for use in people under 18 years of age.
Source: NSW Government | Health
Third Doses and Boosters
There is evidence to show that protection from COVID-19 vaccines against infection reduces overtime. To address this decline, a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has been recommended. Having a booster dose will protect you from COVID-19 for longer. If you do not get a booster dose your immunity against the virus may reduce overtime. This means you may be more likely to get infected with the virus and pass it on to others.
A booster dose can also protect you against emerging variants. Evidence shows a booster dose provides greater protection against the Omicron variant than two primary doses of a COVID-19 vaccine alone.
Research is currently underway to determine how long does immunity from COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses last and how well they protect against new variants. As evidence emerges recommendations on booster doses or additional doses after a booster dose may be updated.
Find out more about booster doses for people aged 18 years and older and third doses for people with severe immunocompromise.
COVID-19 Vaccine Winter Dose
ATAGI recommends an additional booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine to increase vaccine protection before winter for selected population groups (see Table 1) who are at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and who have received their primary vaccination and first booster dose. These groups are:
- Adults aged 65 years and older
- Residents of aged care or disability care facilities
- People aged 16 years and older with severe immunocompromise (as defined in the ATAGI statement on the use of a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and older.
The additional winter booster dose can be given from 4 months or longer after the person has received their first booster dose, or from 4 months after a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, if infection occurred since the person’s first COVID-19 booster dose.
Trusted for more than 30 Years
