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Australians aged 18 and over for a COVID booster from February 20 if they have not had a vaccine dose or infection in the past six months.

This means people aged 18-29 who have had all eligible doses will be able to get their fourth dose and those over 30 will be able to get their fifth dose. Children aged 5-17 will be eligible for a booster if they have an underlying health condition but boosters will not be rolled out to other children at this stage.

Across Australia of the population over 16 years of age is fully vaccinated, meaning they have had least three doses of the original vaccine. But a found fewer people were willing to get a booster dose.

So why get a booster?

COVID is still circulating in the community

Over the last week, 18,590 cases of COVID were , an average of 2,656 cases per day. However not everyone tests for COVID or reports positive results, so the true number of cases is likely .

The number of COVID cases has decreased compared to the previous week, to 1,838 and 53 cases respectively. Across , there are roughly 198 cases this week.

While these numbers seem low, Australia also reported in the last week of January 2023.

As winter approaches and we into indoor spaces with poor circulation, we set up a perfect incubator for the virus and are likely to see case numbers rise.

You need to keep topping up your COVID immunity

Protection against COVID . So, how many doses you have had seems to matter less than your last shot was.

Booster doses help strengthen immunity against COVID. They lower the risk of infection, severe disease and . However, immunity wanes at approximately after vaccination.

In an from the United States, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation within five months of receiving the booster mRNA COVID vaccine dose was 79% during BA.1/BA.2 and 60% during the BA.4/BA.5 period. This decreased to 41% and 29% five months after vaccination.

It is still possible to contract and COVID after a booster dose, but are often less serious.

I’ve already had COVID, so why get a booster?

The majority of Australians have had COVID at least once. By the end of August 2022, of adults had previously been infected.

New research shows , resulting from vaccination and contracting COVID, can provide partial protection against reinfection for up to .

Hybrid immunity provides against severe disease or hospitalisation for six to 12 months after an infection and vaccination.

However, immunity acquired by booster vaccination alone seems to fade somewhat .

Does it matter what vaccine you get?

Currently, there are a few vaccines available in . These include: Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax and AstraZeneca.

Pfizer and Moderna both have bivalent vaccines against the original strain and BA.1. These are available for use as a booster, with four million doses currently available and another ten million arriving this month.

have had their version provisionally approved, however, they’re in Australia.

All available vaccines are anticipated to provide some benefit. However, Omicron-specific mRNA booster vaccines are , as it seems to provide slightly against severe disease than boosters using the original formulation.

Whichever vaccine you get, a booster will help protect you against severe disease symptoms, hospitalisations and reduce your chances of . It will also help to protect around, especially if they are older, immunocompromised or from a vulnerable population.

When should I get it?

The date of your last COVID vaccine is on your COVID accessed via or .

If you decide to get a booster, it takes approximately 14 days for immunity to kick in. Antibody levels begin to drop after , before declining more steeply after four to six months.

While COVID is different to the seasonal flu, rates of COVID have previously . There have even been reports of double infection, ““.

The (ATAGI) particularly anyone at risk of severe illness from COVID – people aged 65 years and above, or younger adults who have underlying medical conditions, disability or complex health needs – should get a 2023 booster dose.

How will I feel afterwards?

Vaccine , such as pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, joint or muscle pain and fever or chills. These subside within one to two days.

A have been reported, such as (blood clotting disorder), (inflammation of the heart muscle), anaphylaxis (allergic reaction), Guillain-Barré syndrome (immune system attacks nerves) and immune thrombocytopenia (low clotting disorder).

While these are , it is important to about them.

You can book your COVID booster now through the or SMS “” (Easy Vaccine Access) to 0481 611 382, a simple callback service to book COVID vaccines.

Sathana Dushyanthen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.