Roll up, roll up for crucial winter boost

Whether you call it a winter dose, fourth dose or a second booster here's the run-down on the newest jab guidelines.

People as young as 30 are now able to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccination, meaning an additional 7.4 million Australians will be able to come forward from Monday.

Previously, only over-65s and vulnerable people were eligible.

However, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has specifically recommended fourth doses for people aged over 50.

People over 30 will be able to get the extra jab if they choose to do so.

Eligible people can get the extra shot three months after their first booster. The waiting period has been reduced from four months.

The extra jab is recommended for people at increased risk of severe illness including:

Simply, it will boost your immunity against COVID-19 and help prevent serious disease and death. It will also take pressure off the hospital system.

Australian Medical Association vice president Chris Moy said a fourth dose reduces the risk of ending up in hospital, particularly for people aged over 60. It also adds protection against catching COVID-19.

"The evidence was that protection from severe disease was well maintained for people long after their third shot. The first booster was the most important one, because it's come out now that it reduces your risk against severe disease by 65 per cent, on top of just having two shots. So that's the more important shot."

However, ATAGI found evidence that for people over 60 the risk of hospitalisation was further decreased with a fourth dose.

"[People over 60] had a lesser chance of ending up in hospitals," Dr Moy said.

"For everybody else, a well person who's over 18, normal immune system, the evidence they found was that essentially all it did was protect you against transient infection, and may reduce transmission."

A surge in cases of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants is also expected to worsen in the coming months.

It's your choice.

The ATAGI has advised that people aged 30 to 49 can receive an extra booster dose, however the benefit for people in this age group is less certain. Dr Moy said it was an "unusual decision" requiring people to make up their own mind.

Fourth dose vaccinations will be available from your pharmacist, general practitioner or a vaccination clinic. There are more than 10,000 primary points of care across Australia.

To book you can contact your health provider directly or use the government's COVID-19 Clinic Finder or Easy Vaccine Access (EVA) phone service.

The finder is available here: covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking/

EVA is a simple call back service to help people book a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you need help making a COVID-19 vaccine booking, SMS 'Hey EVA' to 0481 611 382. A trained call agent will call you to help book your vaccination.

The announcement has been made ahead of an expected surge in COVID-19 cases, as two new more transmissible variants are predicted to cause the biggest outbreak yet.

The outbreak is predicted to place significant strain on hospitals, widespread uptake of the fourth dose aims to keep people out of the health system.

"[Health authorities] are worried about the wave that's just about to hit us, they think now by timing it at least we'll get some transient protections," Dr Moy said.

"They've wanted to hold fire until they're facing a new variant of risk. They've been holding fire on this fourth shot for everybody else for a long time."

Additionally, the advisory body was reluctant to expand eligibility without sufficient evidence and held concerns around immunological imprinting.

Dr Moy explains: "In simple terms, immunological imprinting essentially is this principle that if you keep on giving the same vaccine for the same person, again and again and again, rapidly ... your immune system gets a bit lazy, and only responds to the original variant and doesn't respond to a new variant."

Like most things, only time will tell.

Dr Moy explained that the current generation of vaccines are based on the original COVID-19 variant which came out of Wuhan all the way back in 2020.

Omicron specific vaccines are now being developed, which may result in another round of jabs.

Infectious diseases expert Professor Paul Griffin urged people to get their fourth COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.

"One common question is should we wait for the Omicron specific boosters and while these are looking very promising and likely to be available at some point this year, given the situation at the moment, it is important for as many people to get vaccinated now as possible," he said.

"Perhaps we just need to ensure people are aware that even a fourth dose now, while of benefit and recommended, is not likely to be the last dose required, and may not even be the last dose recommended this year.

"We also need to reinforce the basic measures that helped so much early on in the pandemic including mask wearing [and] social distancing."