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COVID-19 vaccines: Your burning questions answered

22 September, 2021 . 0

Coronavirus may seem like a thing of the past but the truth is, we’re still living with it. Here’s the latest on what you need to know about vaccines and variants.

Almost 75 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have now had three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, while more than 2.1 million vaccine doses have been administered to children aged 5 to 15.

However, with a decrease in immunity from earlier Omicron infections and potential Omicron variant evolutions, how worried should we be over the possibility of a new Covid wave?

Covid-19 in the community in 2022

Covid has spread so widely now that knowing someone who has had the virus is becoming as common as knowing someone who’s had a cold.

This is largely thanks to the highly transmissible yet comparatively milder Omicron variant which has swept through the country over the past couple of months.

That is not to downplay the risks or severity of illness.

While in most cases – particularly if you’re vaccinated – symptoms of Covid are mild and may include fever, cough and fatigue, the virus is still capable of causing serious illness which can result in severe pneumonia, organ failure and possibly death.

Not only that, having even a mild case of Covid can raise the risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year after diagnosis, according to a study published in Nature.

A recent ANU study found nearly one-third of Australian adults have had experience with long Covid, a common post-viral syndrome where symptoms remain or develop after the initial infection

The main symptoms of long Covid are fatigue, breathlessness, and chest pain, infectious diseases physician Dr Nick Coatsworth told House of Wellness radio.

The Covid-19 reinfection period has now been reduced from 12 weeks to four weeks.

So you’re Covid positive? Here’s what to do next

How can I reduce my risk of Covid?

The same public health measures we’ve been practising since the pandemic began still apply:

Good hand hygiene.
Wearing a mask.
Social distancing.
Getting tested if you’re unwell.
Quarantining active cases.
Getting vaccinated.
Covid-19 home tests: Know your result in minutes

What do I need to know about Covid variants?

The initial Sars-CoV-2 strain was first confirmed in Wuhan, China in December 2019, but like all viruses, it has mutated over time.

“Newer variants are inevitable when it involves RNA viruses,” according to Monash University molecular virologist Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam.

“Every time the virus reproduces inside someone there’s a chance of it mutating and a new variant emerging.

“It’s a bit like rolling dice. The more you roll, the greater the chance of new variants appearing.”

While the Covid-19 virus has mutated hundreds of times since it was first discovered, in some cases the mutations have been short-lived, while others have become what the World Health Organisation have labelled Variants of Concern.

The likely sources of a new VOC are areas of the world where large populations are unvaccinated, or mutations within an animal, or even a single immunosuppressed person, explains Australian National University Infectious Diseases specialist Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake.

Despite rising concerns over new Covid recombinant forms XBB and BQ.1, the World Health Organisation says there are currently no indications of epidemiological evidence larger than other Omicron sub-lineages.

However, WHO warns countries should remain “vigilant, to monitor and report sequences”.

Vaccines and who can access them in Australia?

There are currently four vaccines available in Australia – Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Novavax. Everyone in Australia aged five and over is eligible for a free Covid vaccination.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends people aged 50 to 64 years to get a fourth dose, while those aged 30 to 49 years should also consider getting the booster.

If you are 16 or 17 (or have turned 16 since you had your primary dose of Covid-19 vaccine) you can have a booster dose three months after your first course.

recommends vaccination for children aged 6 months to 5 years if they have the following conditions which makes them vulnerable to severe Covid outcomes:

Severe primary or secondary immunodeficiency
Bone marrow or stem cell transplant
Complex congenital cardiac disease
Type 1 diabetes mellitus
Chronic neurological or neuromuscular conditions
A disability with severe complex needs

If you are 16 or 17 (or have turned 16 since you had your primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine) you can have a booster dose three months after your first course.

ATAGI also recommends vaccination for children aged 6 months to 5 years if they have the following conditions which make them vulnerable to severe Covid outcomes: