COVID-19 Vaccinations

• Who should consider receiving a COVID-19 booster dose?
  Booster doses, also known as additional doses, are important to maintain optimal protection against serious illness or death from COVID-19. Booster doses are recommended or should be considered based on your age, risk factors, or individual health needs.¹ Please visit the Australian Department of Health for the latest information regarding COVID-19 booster vaccine recommendations and to check your eligibility.
• Who is eligible?
  Check your eligibility here or speak to your Discount Drug Stores pharmacist to confirm your eligibility.
• Can my booster dose be a different TGA approved vaccine than my earlier vaccines?
  Yes. An alternative brand can be used for booster doses if you are unable to access the same brand or there are contraindications or precautions to the brand used for a previous dose.²
• How do booster vaccines work together with the primary vaccine course to give me optimal protection from COVID-19?
  Your immunity against the COVID-19 virus wanes over time. Additionally, the virus that causes COVID-19 changes over time. Booster doses give you better and longer protection against COVID-19, including the newer COVID-19 variants.³

Yes. You should still get all doses recommended to you, though you should wait for 6 months after the confirmed infection.⁴

Yes, COVID-19 vaccinations are safe. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has a strict vaccine approval process that carefully assesses a vaccine’s safety. The TGA’s safety monitoring team of doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and scientists are closely monitoring any reported side effects from the vaccine to investigate any safety issues.

Up-to-date information regarding vaccine safety and vaccine recommendations can be found here and here.

Speak to your pharmacist or doctor if you have concerns about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines or to discuss which vaccine is most appropriate for you.

Yes. You can receive your COVID-19 vaccine and your flu vaccine on the same day. COVID-19 vaccines can also be co-administered with other vaccines, including routine childhood and adolescent vaccines, and vaccines given later in life.⁵

Check with your local Discount Drug Stores pharmacist to confirm which other vaccines you can receive on the same day as your COVID‑19 vaccine.

Having existing health conditions can put you at a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Most people with health issues are generally recommended to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and they might also benefit from booster doses.⁶

Speak with your pharmacist or doctor to find out what’s right for you.

COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone aged 5 years and over in Australia, and for eligible babies aged from 6 months to 5 years, regardless of your Medicare and visa status.

Check your eligibility here

Vaccines train your immune system to quickly recognise and get rid of the virus. If you are vaccinated before being exposed to the virus, the immune system can respond faster and more effectively to protect you against the disease.⁷

The COVID-19 vaccine may not stop you from ever getting COVID-19, but the Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax vaccines have been shown to be very effective at preventing people from becoming very ill or dying if they catch COVID-19.⁸

There is no live virus in the COVID-19 vaccine. Most COVID-19 vaccines contain a spike protein that looks like the spikes on the outside of the COVID-19 virus particle or stimulate the body to produce this spike protein. The immune system recognises this spike protein and produces antibodies.⁹

Discount Drug Stores pharmacists administering COVID-19 vaccinations have completed extensive training regarding vaccinations generally, as well as specific training for COVID-19 vaccinations.

No. The COVID-19 vaccine is free for everyone aged 5 years and over in Australia, and for eligible babies aged from 6 months to 5 years.

You will receive your vaccine in a safe, private space within the pharmacy.