Australia’s struggles with the long-term impacts from COVID-19 continue. Health authorities now recommend that everyone over 75 receive a booster every six months. The intent of this recommendation is to protect the most fragile and most at-risk population, including while vaccination rates are low in aged care residents. Those aged 18-64 who are severely immunocompromised are recommended to receive boosters every six months.
Our National Immunisation Guidelines state that these boosters are crucial for protecting older Australians and people with certain health conditions. Currently less than half of aged care residents are up to date with their vaccinations. This illustrates the desperate and dangerous need for help right now. Health officials continue to warn that these communities are most at risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19.
Vaccination Guidelines for Various Age Groups
These recommendations laid out concrete booster regimens depending on age and immunocompromised status. For Australians over the age of 75 years old, getting those boosts needs to happen every six months. This extends to adults 65 to 74, who can receive a booster every six months, based on an individual benefit-risk assessment.
For younger adults aged 18 through 64 years of age (not severely immunocompromised), the recommendation is a booster dose at least 12 months apart. The same annual pattern holds true for students between 5 and 17 years old. For children under 5, it is not advised for them to receive any COVID-19 boosters right now.
This structured approach aims to ensure that those at greater risk receive timely vaccinations while allowing other age groups to maintain immunity without overwhelming healthcare resources.
Addressing Low Vaccination Rates
The implementation of these clear guidelines has led to concerningly low vaccination rates amongst older Australians. Less than 40% of people in aged care aged 75 and above vaccinated against COVID-19. This unprecedented situation is ringing alarm bells among health experts.
Australia’s chief medical officer Allison tweeted how important it was to increase vaccination rates in residential aged care facilities. There he emphasized that this step was needed to ensure they could protect their most vulnerable residents. This urgent action alert is a testament to the continued danger of COVID-19, especially in our nation’s nursing homes that house some of our most vulnerable to the virus.
Robert O’Sullivan, president of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine, highlighted the seriousness of the situation: “We’re still seeing people in hospitals presenting with COVID-19 with serious illness … It’s still a significant cause of death in older people, and particularly people in nursing homes.” This new statement highlights the truth that COVID-19 still presents serious risks, particularly in these congregate settings.
Encouraging Safe Practices and Information Access
Health experts from the frontlines are encouraging the community to stay alert as the COVID-19 landscape continues to rapidly change. Professor Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, noted, “The COVID landscape has changed very significantly, and many people now, rightly or wrongly, perceive the risk as very low. In the aged care setting, the risk remains high.”
He added that while previous vaccines may provide some protection, staying updated with the latest vaccinations is essential. “While the previous one will provide some protection, we know that COVID is continuing to change … so I would certainly opt for the latest one.”
In addition, it’s worth noting that experts agree that the general public has difficulty accessing up to date vaccination information. Americans are facing deeper pain than they were just a few years ago. They have no idea where to obtain the vaccine, or even which vaccine to get,” said Professor Griffin. This underscores the importance of objective communication from health care providers that empowers residents to understand all their options.
