Omicron vaccine: See if you’re eligible and how to get it

An Omicron-specific vaccine is being rolled out in Australia. But not everyone will be able to get it. See details.

Australia’s first Covid vaccine targeting the original strain of the virus as well as Omicron will be rolled this week.

Moderna’s Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron vaccine will be available to adult Australians who have not yet received a third or fourth dose of Covid vaccine (also known as the first and second booster).

A Department of Health and Aged Care spokesman told News Corp that 15 million Moderna doses, including variant specific vaccines, would be delivered by the end of 2022.

“This includes all currently available formulations of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine that have been provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in Australia,” he said.

Latest reporting from the department shows 72 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over have now had a third dose of Covid vaccine.

In the week ending October 4, 36,242 Covid cases were reported in Australia – an average of 5177 cases per day.

The move to introduce the new vaccine follows provisional approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for its use in Australia, and a recommendation by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) last month that it be made available to people aged 18 years and over.

“In the coming weeks, patients will be able to access the Moderna bivalent booster as an option, along with the other registered Covid-19 vaccines,” ATAGI said in a statement.

“The Moderna bivalent booster and original Covid-19 vaccines (various brands) will continue to be available in the near future. Eligible individuals can receive whichever Covid-19 booster vaccine is available to them.

“ATAGI recommends that any person who has not yet received a first or recommended second Covid-19 booster dose, arrange to receive their booster soon, using either the Moderna bivalent booster or an alternative original vaccine.”

The new vaccine targeting the Omicron and original strain will be rolled out in Australia from this week. Picture: Ringo Chiu/AFP

WHAT IS IN IT?

The Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron vaccine contains imelasomeran that targets the Omicron variant BA. 1, and elasomeran that targets the original strain of SARSCoV-2. All other ingredients are the same as those used in Moderna’s original Covid-19 vaccine. According to the TGA, the Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron vaccine elicited a superior neutralising antibody response against Omicron BA. 1 strain and a similar response against the original strain, 28 days after use as a booster dose compared with the original Spikevax vaccine. Initial analysis shows that the bivalent vaccine also generates a higher immune response against the sub-variants BA. 4 and BA. 5 than the original Spikevax vaccine.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?

The TGA reported the booster has a similar safety profile to the original Spikevax booster given as a second booster dose. As with the original Spikevax vaccine, side effects include swelling in the underarm, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, pain or swelling at the injection site, tiredness, chills and fever. In rare cases, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart) can develop after the Moderna vaccine. These conditions can develop within just a few days after vaccination, and have primarily occurred within two weeks. They are seen more often after the second vaccination, and more often occurred in younger men. Signs of myocarditis and pericarditis include breathlessness, a noticeably rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat and chest pain. People are advised to seek immediate medical attention should these occur.

WHO IS IT MADE BY?

Moderna Australia

WHEN CAN I GET IT?

The booster will be rolled out across Australia from Monday, October 10.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

ATAGI has recommended the vaccine be used as a booster in adults aged over 18 who are eligible for their first or second booster (also known as a third and fourth dose of Covid vaccine). Boosters can be given at least three months after the most recent Covid vaccine dose or previous Covid infection. More information about who should not have the Moderna vaccine is available at the Department of Health and Aged Care website here.

WHERE CAN I GET IT?

People wanting to access this vaccine for their booster should ask their GP or Covid vaccination clinic. The Department of Health and Aged Care also has a Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder that will list the sites where the Moderna Spikevax Bivalent vaccine will be available.

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

According to ATAGI, while the duration of protection from the bivalent vaccine is not known, there is the “potential for increased duration of protection as shown by a previous investigational Moderna bivalent vaccine encoding the original virus and the Beta variant, used as a first booster, six or more months after a primary Moderna course.”

Professor Adrian Esterman, pictured during the hearing by the Parliamentary Oversight Committee over Covid-19 Directions at Parliament House in Adelaide. NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Adelaide epidemiologist Professor Adrian Esterman, of UniSA, urged all Australians who were yet to receive their third and fourth vaccine doses to make it a priority.

“It’s so important,” he said. “Most people had their second dose many months ago now, and by now they would have no protection against the virus, and we’ve got a whole bunch of new sub-variants which are much more transmissible (than other sub-variants).

“We’re still getting a reasonable number of cases each day in Australia and probably a lot more than are being registered because people simply aren’t bothered to test themselves.”

Professor Esterman said the imminent scrapping of mandatory isolation for people who test positive to Covid made getting a booster even more urgent.

“Yes, were at a totally different situation than we were two years ago, we know a lot more about the virus, we have better vaccines and we have good treatments,” he said.

“But it’s not over yet. There are a number of new sub-variants which are going around the world at the moment, all of them more transmissible than BA. 5, all of them can put people into hospital and kill them.

“Please be sensible. If you’re going into a crowded situation wear a good quality face mask and wear it properly over your nose not under your nose. And make sure you are as vaccinated as you can get because it saves lives.”