Covid booster shots: who is eligible and how will it affect your vaccination status in Australia? - The Guardian Australia

Vaccine clinics and general practitioners have begun administering Covid-19 booster shots to the general population, with almost two million Australians set to be eligible for their third dose by Christmas.

More than 170,000 severely immunocompromised Australians had already received third doses as a part of a limited early phase of eligibility, however from Monday, any Australian who received their second Covid-19 vaccine dose at least six months ago is now eligible for a booster.

This means anyone who received their second dose on or before 8 May is now eligible.

By Christmas, the federal government believes 1.7m people will be eligible for their booster shot.

The government has said aged care and disability settings will be prioritised. This reflects the phases of prioritisation for first doses earlier this year, as it will be people in these groups that become the first Australians to have six months pass since their second dose.

However anyone who is eligible for a third dose because six months has passed since their second dose can book from Monday.

Yes. Just like the first and second shots, Covid-19 vaccines in Australia are free.

As of Monday, Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for use as a booster dose, however health minister Greg Hunt has said he expects other brands including Moderna to apply to the Therapeutic Goods Administration for approval.

However the government has said there may be certain circumstances where someone needs an AstraZeneca vaccine as their booster, giving the example of someone who had side effects after receiving a second mRNA vaccine.

States and territories may set their own policies, however they are yet to announce if booster shots will impact fully vaccinated status.

However, countries around the world who are at the advanced stages of their vaccine rollouts are already factoring booster shots into their entry requirements.

Austria and Croatia have also put expiry dates of 270 days on their Covid vaccine certificates, after which point a booster is required to enter.

The emergence of future variants could also impact whether further rounds of boosters are needed.