New Covid Booster Shots Available – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

New COVID booster shots are now available in Australia.

And as cases rise ahead of the holiday period yet again, experts say the new vaccines will still help protect against the subvariants currently spreading around the country.

So, how effective are they, who can get them, and where can you get them?

What is the latest COVID-19 vaccine?

The new generation of boosters are called “monovalent Omicron XBB 1.5 vaccines”.

“Monovalent” means they contain just one strain of COVID-19, making them a bit different to the “bivalent” vaccines we already had on the market.

They are designed to target the Omicron subvariant XBB 1.5, which you might remember by its unofficial nickname, the “Kraken”.

Three versions are available in Australia:

One for people over the age of 12 from Pfizer
One for children aged between five and 12 from Pfizer
One for people over the age of 12 from Moderna

Who should get the new COVID booster and what is the advice?

All adults can get the new vaccine if it’s been more than six months since their last booster shot or COVID illness.

However, Australia’s leading vaccine advisory group, ATAGI, only recommends it for certain groups.

If you’re over 65 or have underlying health conditions and haven’t had a 2023 booster yet, it’s strongly recommended that you get one.

If you’re 75 or above, ATAGI says you should get the new vaccine even if you have already had a booster shot this year.

The new vaccine could also be beneficial as a second 2023 booster if you live in residential aged care, have never had COVID before, or have complex medical conditions, ATAGI says.

ATAGI’s recommendations are different for adults aged 18 to 64 with no underlying health conditions:

If you have not had a booster shot this year, you can “consider” getting one
If you have already had a booster shot this year, the XBB 1.5 vaccine is not recommended at this stage

Are the symptoms still the same?

Yes. They haven’t changed since the start of the pandemic.

According to the department you can experience:

fever
coughing
sore throat
shortness of breath.

What to do if you have COVID-19

You’re not required by law to isolate if you have COVID-19 symptoms, but it is strongly encouraged you stay at home.

Here’s what the federal health website says to do if you test positive for COVID-19:

You should not visit high-risk settings like hospitals and aged and disability care settings:

for at least 7 days or until symptoms have gone
unless seeking immediate medical care.

To help protect those around you, we recommend:

avoiding contact with people who are at higher risk of severe disease
wearing a mask outside the home
working from home where possible
avoiding going to school, public areas, or travel on public transport, in taxis or ride-share services
practising good hygiene
following your local health department’s advice when leaving home.

If you do need to leave your home during the infectious period, health authorities recommend wearing a P2/N95 mask to protect others.

New Covid booster shorts available — Between November 1 and November 30, Australia recorded 43,899 COVID-19 cases.

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	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.