Booster vaccines, eligibility and travel bookings

[DC3]

Dear Dr Ron , are you a medical Dr ?

And he is also an expert on scallop pies as well.

 

[RB]

My 95yr old mother had her booster last Fri. Her arm was more sore this time but no other side effects

 

[Millie]

I had my second jab of AZ in mid - July. I leave for the UK on Dec 8th, for 7 weeks.
My doctor said "we don't know enough about the boosters for him to recommend either way (to have or not to have)" - I asked what he would do - he said wait and thought I had sufficient coverage.

 

[Pushka]

I had my second jab of AZ in mid - July. I leave for the UK on Dec 8th, for 7 weeks.
My doctor said "we don't know enough about the boosters for him to recommend either way (to have or not to have)" - I asked what he would do - he said wait and thought I had sufficient coverage.

I'd see if I could have it before. But I am in no way a Dr. You are only four weeks shy of it when you leave.

 

[andye]

My understanding Israel offers at 5 months

 

[drron]

I had my second jab of AZ in mid - July. I leave for the UK on Dec 8th, for 7 weeks.
My doctor said "we don't know enough about the boosters for him to recommend either way (to have or not to have)" - I asked what he would do - he said wait and thought I had sufficient coverage.

It depends on how long you are going to be away. If less than 6 weeks probably don't need it. However if longer I would have a booster. I had my second AZ in mid July also and we are only leaving for the UK early March so definitely having a booster before the end of January.

However Tassie opens it's doors mid December and there will be cases.I am optimistic on the way things have gone in NSW so hoping just a few cases and I will be fine. But the ward I am working on is the surge ward for covid cases so if there are quite a few community cases here I will go and have a booster.Almost certainly will go to Chemist warehouse and get a Moderna shot.

It is obvious for Pfizer that a booster at 6 months is a very good idea. That comes from the results in Israel.They onlu used Pfizer basically and at 6 months post second jab the breakthrough infections took off. Then they started their booster campaign and things came under control. That is why they are saying 5 months for a booster as why wait until you really need it.

There is not enough known with AZ and Moderna though the UK data says the decline in protection is slower with AZ than Pfizer. But why wait.Just remember here at the moment it is 50 cases per day per million population. In the UK it is nearly 600 cases per day per million so you are much more likely to come in contact with covid.

 

[Millie]

It depends on how long you are going to be away. If less than 6 weeks probably don't need it. However if longer I would have a booster. I had my second AZ in mid July also and we are only leaving for the UK early March so definitely having a booster before the end of January.

However Tassie opens it's doors mid December and there will be cases.I am optimistic on the way things have gone in NSW so hoping just a few cases and I will be fine. But the ward I am working on is the surge ward for covid cases so if there are quite a few community cases here I will go and have a booster.Almost certainly will go to Chemist warehouse and get a Moderna shot.

It is obvious for Pfizer that a booster at 6 months is a very good idea. That comes from the results in Israel.They onlu used Pfizer basically and at 6 months post second jab the breakthrough infections took off. Then they started their booster campaign and things came under control. That is why they are saying 5 months for a booster as why wait until you really need it.

There is not enough known with AZ and Moderna though the UK data says the decline in protection is slower with AZ than Pfizer. But why wait.Just remember here at the moment it is 50 cases per day per million population. In the UK it is nearly 600 cases per day per million so you are much more likely to come in contact with covid.

Thanks for your detailed responses.

 

[DC3]

I had my second jab of AZ in mid - July. I leave for the UK on Dec 8th, for 7 weeks.
My doctor said "we don't know enough about the boosters for him to recommend either way (to have or not to have)" - I asked what he would do - he said wait and thought I had sufficient coverage.

“… In the UK, daily case numbers are hovering around the 40,000 mark, with weekly deaths now averaging over 1,000 …”

Most of the world is ahead of Australia. This is what COVID experts from four countries say we could learn

We asked leading experts in four countries — Canada, Singapore, the US and the UK— about "living with COVID". This is what they said.

www.abc.net.au

Food for thought. I know what I would do.

 

[Lynda2475]

And those cases have been increasing week on week.

I will be getting my booster in January as scheduled and another in July before I head to UK in August.

 

[mviy]

I'm travelling only a few months or so after my second AZ so I won't be due for a booster for some months after I return home.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Data point. My eldest daughter (early 20s) had her booster shot today in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. She is just under 5 months post second Pfizer. Will be in Europe when her 6 month booster is due and late by the time she gets back.
Had to book a GP consult beforehand to discuss the need for early booster.

 

[Telemachus]

Data point. My eldest daughter (early 20s) had her booster shot today in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. She is just under 5 months post second Pfizer. Will be in Europe when her 6 month booster is due and late by the time she gets back.
Had to book a GP consult beforehand to discuss the need for early booster.

I’m in a similar situation and can add a couple of details that may be useful to others. I am due to fly to the UK in week before Xmas and will still be there for several weeks after passing the 6-month mark from 2nd dose. I booked to receive the booster this morning at the same GPRC in Sydney where my primary doses were administered. I took with me a doctor’s letter requesting the booster be given prior to overseas travel but in the event there were no questions and no need to produce the letter.

The explanatory text when I booked online includes this: ‘Third dose booster vaccine is now available for immuno-compromised/immuno-suppressed or elderly patients. If you are booking your Dose 3 booster vaccine, please first confirm this with your Doctor prior to booking’. So there is no explicit requirement at a GPRC for a letter or other document to justify receiving the booster at <6 months and/or for those who do not meet the other eligibility criteria. It may be different with other providers.

 

[Mattg]

I spoke to my GP about this today and he said that ATAGI was only allowing booster shots after six months, so he couldn't give me a booster after five months even if I would be travelling overseas to a covid "hotspot" (Europe) and would still be overseas at the six-month mark. He did offer to refer me to an immunologist though.

He suggested that if I was still overseas when my booster became due, I should contact the Australian embassy in whichever country I'm in. Not sure what exactly he expects them to do?

I'm not travelling imminently so will wait and see for now if the government brings forward boosters at some point.

 

[DC3]

I spoke to my GP about this today and he said that ATAGI was only allowing booster shots after six months, so he couldn't give me a booster after five months even if I would be travelling overseas to a covid "hotspot" …

… He suggested that if I was still overseas when my booster became due, I should contact the Australian embassy in whichever country I'm in …

A second opinion coming soon?

 

[Lynda2475]

Lots of examples of people able to get booster early in NSW due to impending travel, maybe time to go to a mass vax centre or GPRC instead of your GP who seems to be impractically inflexible.

My parents are getting their booster 2 weeks early, because their GP who only recently started doing vaccinations wants to make sure he has 6 people booked in on the same day so not to waste any doses.

 

[blacksultan]

Lots of examples of people able to get booster early in NSW due to impending travel, maybe time to go to a mass vax centre or GPRC instead of your GP who seems to be impractically inflexible.

My parents are getting their booster 2 weeks early, because their GP who only recently started doing vaccinations wants to make sure he has 6 people booked in on the same day so not to waste any doses.

I got mine a month early as I was traveling oveeseas.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I spoke to my GP about this today and he said that ATAGI was only allowing booster shots after six months, so he couldn't give me a booster after five months even if I would be travelling overseas to a covid "hotspot" (Europe) and would still be overseas at the six-month mark. He did offer to refer me to an immunologist though.

He suggested that if I was still overseas when my booster became due, I should contact the Australian embassy in whichever country I'm in. Not sure what exactly he expects them to do?

I'm not travelling imminently so will wait and see for now if the government brings forward boosters at some point.

This is the Covid equivalent of HUACA.
I’d be heading to another GP practice.

 

[jakeseven7]

I spoke to my GP about this today and he said that ATAGI was only allowing booster shots after six months, so he couldn't give me a booster after five months even if I would be travelling overseas to a covid "hotspot" (Europe) and would still be overseas at the six-month mark. He did offer to refer me to an immunologist though.

He suggested that if I was still overseas when my booster became due, I should contact the Australian embassy in whichever country I'm in. Not sure what exactly he expects them to do?

I'm not travelling imminently so will wait and see for now if the government brings forward boosters at some point.

Logistical reasons permit HCP's to jab anytime after 5 months

 

[auriga]

Had my booster done at medical centre yesterday.
It was about a week short of six months. I was asked about my previous dose, but not questioned about why I was early.
Received an email from mygov in under 2 hours regarding updated vaccination record.

 

[Pushka]

Had my booster done at medical centre yesterday.
It was about a week short of six months. I was asked about my previous dose, but not questioned about why I was early.
Received an email from mygov in under 2 hours regarding updated vaccination record.

Apparently 1 week short is the maximum if going to the major vaccination hub.