COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Your Doctors is offering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible adults. We are currently NOT stocking kids vaccines - this will be reassessed prior to Winter 2024. We have the MODERNA bivalent vaccine available.

Please call our practices to book an appointment, please do not book online. We must use an entire vial of vaccine (10 doses) within hours once opened, so we schedule vaccinations to occur only on specific days with specific staff.

Our immunisation schedule is at times tight due to high demand. You must be with your child and have them prepared to receive the vaccine within a few minutes.

All patients (or parent/guardians) are required to fill out a consent form - supplied on the day.

Helpful resources:

Unsure about whether to vaccinate your kids? Dr Sam Hay has written two valuable summaries for parents. Letter to parents & Top 10 questions about the vaccine.
Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (SCHN) child life therapy teams have created video resources for children with anxiety, needle-phobia or behavioural issues to support the vaccination process for families Seven strategies to help children with vaccination: Seven strategies to help children with vaccination

COVID-19 Vaccination information (Correct as at FEB24)

Recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccination booster requirements, eligibility, timing of shots is best discussed and clarified with your doctor. Please book an appointment at your convenience. Below is an executive summary with numerous links for further information.

The Moderna bivalent vaccine can be used as an alternative vaccine for any booster dose in people aged 18 years or older, according to the current ATAGI recommendations for booster doses.
ATAGI have made no changes to the current booster recommendations and is not advising any extra booster doses beyond the second booster dose (fourth dose) in selected populations.
Booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine should be given at least 3 months after the most recent COVID-19 vaccine dose or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Eligible individuals can receive Moderna bivalent or the original vaccines (various brands) whichever is available to them. Both bivalent and original vaccines result in an improvement in the immune response against BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 Omicron subvariants, with the Moderna bivalent vaccine showing a small incremental benefit over the original vaccine for Omicron neutralisation.
Coadministration of Moderna bivalent vaccine with other non-COVID vaccines is acceptable, as per current ATAGI clinical guidance.
The Moderna bivalent vaccine is not recommended for the primary course of vaccination (first two doses in most people or first three doses in severely immunocompromised people).
ATAGI does not currently recommend use of the Moderna bivalent vaccine as a booster in anyone under 18 years as it is not registered for this age group.

ATAGI updated the recommendations for doses of COVID-19 in February and September 2023. These recommendations have not changed at this time. As published in the September statement, the current recommendations for further doses are summarised below:

Table: Current recommendations for further COVID-19 vaccine doses (unchanged from September 2023)

	first 2023 dose (February 2023 guidance)*		second 2023 dose (September 2023 guidance)*
Age	At risk#	No risk factors	At risk#	No risk factors
<5 years	Not recommended	Not recommended	Not recommended	Not recommended
5-17 years	Consider	Not recommended	Not recommended	Not recommended
18-64 years	Recommended	Consider	Consider if severe immunocompromise^	Not recommended
65-74 years	Recommended	Recommended	Consider	Consider
≥ 75 years	Recommended	Recommended	Recommended	Recommended
*XBB.1.5-containing vaccine preferred for all doses. For eligible children aged 6 months to 4 years, use Pfizer Original 6 month - <5 year formulation (maroon cap) as the only available formulation for this age group. Timing: 2023 vaccine doses should be given from 6 months after a person’s last dose and can be given in early 2024, pending updated advice from ATAGI. #Includes those with a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness (refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook) or those with disability with significant or complex health needs or multiple comorbidities which increase the risk of poor outcomes from COVID-19. ^ For details, refer to the ATAGI recommendations on the use of a third primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised.