The debate is heating up over the timing of the fourth round of vaccines against COVID-19 in Australia. The key question is: should we delay widespread deployment to all adults while waiting for a vaccine that better targets the Omicron variant, or should we quickly launch the vaccines we already have?
So far, only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 50 and older and those with conditions that increase their risk of serious illness are eligible for a fourth “winter” dose.
Dr. Magdalena SimonisCredits: Sion Schluter
There are growing calls for expanding eligibility to younger adults, as much of the population will face more dangerous Omicron subvariants many months after their last dose of vaccine.
On Monday, Victoria’s head of health, Brett Sutton, said two subvariants with a greater ability to evade the immunity provided by vaccines had become the most dominant strain in Geelong and Melbourne. Subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 now account for about 40 percent of virus wastewater detections in Victoria, in line with similar patterns in NSW and Queensland, he said.
We asked readers questions about the problem of the fourth dose to Dr. Magdalena Simonis, an experienced GP and member of the committee of quality care experts at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Professor Paul Griffin, an expert. in infectious diseases, who has been the principal investigator for seven years. Clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine.
It’s been over six months since my third dose. What concern should I have for the new variants if I don’t have my fourth dose?
Simonis: That’s a very good question. What we are seeing in the data is that the protection you get from three still covers you for the serious consequences of illness and death, to a large extent. At this stage, fourth doses have been rationed to the most vulnerable.
I have had COVID twice. Do I still need a third or fourth dose, if I am eligible?
Simonis: If you’re three months after your last episode of COVID-19, the answer is yes. We don’t know what other variants there are, and what other variants could reach our shores.