The head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Adjunct Professor John Skerritt, has urged community pharmacists to encourage patients who have had COVID-19 to get a booster shot.
Speaking to the Pharmacy Guild Industry Update Webinar, Adjunct Professor Skerrit said community pharmacists could support patients getting a vaccination after they have been infected with COVID-19.
“Boosters are just as important for those who have had COVID-19 as reinfections occur in about one in 20 people, and are much more likely with omicron,” he said.
“Vaccination after infection gives significant immunity boost.
“People who have had COVID-19 can be vaccinated once they recover, although it can be deferred for up to four months.
“For all, a third dose is associated with lower reported adverse event rates than the first two shots.”
Adjunct Professor Skerritt said almost three million people in Australia have had a documented COVID-19 infection.
“But some people may have been asymptomatic or thought they just had a bit of a sniffle or a cold or the flu,” he said.
“We don’t know if the real figure is four million or more.
“But that’s a significant percentage of our population who have actually had COVID-19.
“One of the most important pieces of communication is to explain to people who have had COVID-19 is that it doesn’t confer long-term immunity.
‘It gives some degree of protection for a few months but it’s still not as good as having a booster.
“The British have shown about one in 20 people get COVID-19 again … but we think it might even be much higher than that.
“The really important message is to put away the idea that if you’ve had COVID-19 you don’t need a booster shot.
“In fact, you can get vaccinated again a soon as your symptoms recover and the advice is to do it within four months.
“But do it as soon as you recover.”
