NSW residents told to expect Covid-19 booster shots indefinitely

NSW residents have been told to brace for booster shots as the state’s top doctor warns coronavirus will be here forever.

NSW residents can expect to receive periodic Covid-19 vaccines for years to come after the state hits its initial 70 per cent double dose target.

Chief health officer Kerry Chant said on Monday morning people will need to get used to receiving booster shots, with the virus expected to circulate indefinitely.

“I can’t see that Covid is not going to be with us forever,” Dr Chant said.

“Maybe in the future we can have better vaccines and coverage across the world to achieve that.

“I mean, as a public health doctor, we always want to have diseases get totally eliminated but that’s not on the horizon in the near future.”

Dr Chant’s comments raise potential implications for future vaccine targets and lockdown restrictions.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant expects Covid-19 booster shots to be required indefinitely. Picture: Bianca De Marchi/Getty Images

The NSW government has committed to restoring some personal freedoms to fully vaccinated residents once the state reaches 70 per cent double dose coverage of over 16s.

But it isn’t clear if these targets will need to be recalibrated when vaccine immunity starts to wane, or if lockdowns will be reinstated in the future to prevent the spread of the virus before any new targets are met.

In NSW, which confirmed a record 1029 new daily infections on Monday, almost 67 per cent of eligible residents have had one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and about 36 per cent are fully vaccinated.

A nurse administers the Pfizer vaccination to Elliot Ridgway at the Noarlunga Vaccination Hub, in Adelaide: NCA NewsWire/David Mariuz

The state is expected to have fully vaccinated 70 per cent of the eligible population by mid-October, which is likely to trigger the reopening of some retail and hospitality outlets.

Social distancing requirements will remain, with people expected to have to prove their immunisation status before they can enter venues.

“You will have to check in, demonstrate you have been vaccinated, demonstrate social distancing; in certain settings you will have to wear a mask,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday.

“At 70 per cent double dose life will be better than it is today but having said that, we will make sure we never have any settings that will overwhelm our system and that is the absolute challenge.”

Authorities are yet to confirm how booster shots will affect the future use of digital “vaccine passports”.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt expects booster shots to become like regular seasonal flu jabs. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

NCA NewsWire contacted NSW Health who said it was too early to answer questions on the implications booster shots could have for future restrictions.

Australia’s expert immunisation panel is yet to formally recommend booster shots but is expected to provide initial advice to the federal government soon.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has previously said vaccinated Australians will need regular boosters to ward off emerging strains of Covid-19.

He said in last month that “in all likelihood” the top-up vaccines would become as much a part of life as seasonal flu shots.

The Morrison government is racing to fully vaccinate all eligible Australians by Christmas, after a slow and rocky start to its jab rollout in the first half of this year.

A federal health department spokeswoman said the government was actively monitoring the evidence on the need for booster vaccination.

“Australia is well prepared for booster vaccines if they are required. This has been taken into account in the purchase agreements already in place,” the spokeswoman said.