Filipino News 158 online version

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06 ISSUE 158 MAGANDANG BALITA | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.pinoynzlife.nz | MOB: 027 495 8477
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The arrival of the
Omicron variant of Covid-
19 into New Zealand has
meant the gap between the
second vaccine dose and
booster has been shortened
even further - originally six
months going to four months
in early January 2022, and
then reduced to three months
in early February.
The timing of the rollout
had previously caused some
confusion about when people
should go and how it all
works.
The government made its
latest decision on the interval
after advice from the
Vaccine Technical Advisory
Group. It meant more people
would be able eligible to get
their booster before
Omicron took hold in the
community.
There's also a difference
between booster doses and
third primary doses. (Note:
For most people, a primary
course is two doses, for
some people a primary
course could be three doses.)
RNZ is here to clear it all
up.
What is the booster
dose?
The Pfizer booster vaccine
dose is generally being
used in New Zealand, even
if you had a different vaccine
for your primary
course.
AstraZeneca boosters are
also available on prescription,
but only four months
after the second dose.
Prescriptions can be obtained
at the vaccinating
AstraZeneca clinic or before
the vaccine appointment
with a doctor. It is free to
visit the doctor for an
AstraZeneca booster prescription.
The booster is different to
the third primary dose recommended
for people who
are immunocompromised.
People eligible for a third
primary dose can access a
booster dose three months
after receiving their third
primary dose.
When can you get your
booster?
In early December, the
government announced it
would shorten the required
gap between the second dose
and booster, from six
months to four months. In
early February, the interval
was further reduced to three
months, or 93 days.
You can check when you
are due for a booster by visiting
mycovidrecord.nz or
your purple Covid-19
Vaccine appointment card if
you have one.
If you have already
E X P L A I N E R
Covid-19 vaccine booster dose:
What you need to know
booked your booster dose
with a four-month gap, you
can keep your original
appointment, or change it.
Although, the government
has advised people not to
delay getting it, to reduce the
risk of Omicron as it spreads
in the community.
The Ministry of Health
has said there are plenty of
booster doses available and
no one would miss out.
Where to go to get a
booster
You can find locations for
walk-in and drive-through
vaccination places by clicking
here.
Appointment slots have
been available from 17
January via Book My
Vaccine online.
If you cannot book online,
you can call the Covid-19
Vaccination Healthline on
0800 28 29 26 (8am to 8pm,
seven days a week).
Interpretation services,
and text, email and NZ
Relay options for deaf and
hearing impaired are available
if you need them via the
0800 number.
There is also a specialist
team for disabled people
(option 2 on the 0800 number).
You can also make an
appointment with your doctor
if they are providing
Covid-19 vaccines.
Who is eligible for the
Covid-19 vaccine booster?
Healthcare and border
workers have been the priority
for booster doses since
large numbers of people in
those industries had their
primary doses earlier than
the rest of the population.
When you arrive for your
booster, the date of your last
dose will be checked in the
booking system to ensure
you have gone through the
required interval period.
People aged five years and
older have been able to get
their primary Covid-19 vaccine
courses, but the booster
dose is currently only available
for those aged 18 years
and above.
Advice from the Covid
Vaccine Technical Advisory
Group is expected in mid-
February on when 12 to 17
year olds would be able to
get booster doses "if the scientific
advice supports
booster doses in some, or all,
of this age group", the government
said on its Covid-19
website.
The booster vaccine can
be given at any stage of
pregnancy, at least 3 months
after the primary course.
In a pamphlet from the
ministry early in December,
the ministry had recommended
that those who had
their full primary course
during pregnancy to wait
until after the baby is born to
get the booster dose.
However, in a statement to
RNZ on 7 January, the ministry
has clarified that advice
has changed for pregnant
women following review
from the College of
Obstetricians and guidance
issued by the Australian
Technical Advisory Group
on Immunisation.
"Pregnant people are at
high risk for severe outcomes
from Covid-19 infection,
and those who are
unvaccinated are more likely
to have complications during
pregnancy if they contract
Covid-19," the ministry
said in a media release.
The ministry advised that
pregnant women should discuss
the timing of their
booster with their midwife,
obstetrician or general practitioner.
If you had your Covid-19
vaccination overseas, you
can get still get the booster
for free once you have gone
through the required interval
from your last dose.
Potential side effects of
boosters
You may experience some
side effects with the booster
similar to the primary course
of the vaccine, according to
the Ministry of Health.
These include muscle
aches, pain at the injection
site, headaches, nausea, and
feeling tired or fatigued. For
most people, these tend to be
mild effects and don't last
long.
Some side effects are
more serious but very rare,
like a severe allergic reaction
or an inflammation of
the heart (myocarditis).
If you develop difficulty
breathing, a racing heart,
chest pain or feel faint
immediately or in the days
after the vaccine, you should
seek medical attention.
If you're unsure about
your symptoms or if they get
worse, call Healthline: 0800
358 5453.
If you have had a severe or
immediate allergic reaction
to any vaccine or injection in
the past, tell your vaccinator.
Serious allergic reactions do
happen but are extremely
rare.
An online reporting form
for adverse events following
immunisation with Covid-19
vaccines is now available.
Director-General of
Health Ashley Bloomfield
said New Zealand Covid-19
vaccination data so far was
similar to that overseas; we
had not seen an increase in
side effects, and overall
adverse events after each
additional vaccination had
declined.
Vaccine passes for boosters
You do not need to have a
booster to be certified as
'fully vaccinated' for My
Vaccine Pass or an International
Travel Vaccination
Certificate. Your My
Vaccine Pass will remain
valid, even if you do not get
a booster dose.
If you do get a booster
dose, it will be added to My
Covid Record and you can
create another pass.
Is it mandatory to have a
Covid-19 vaccine booster?
Early in December, the
government announced
Cabinet agreed in principle
that where workers are
required to be vaccinated,
this mandate will now
extend to booster doses.
The addition to the order
came into effect on 23
January 2022 and means
border and MIQ workforces,
health and disability workforces,
as well as those
involved with the border or
health or MIQ from
Corrections, police, defence,
and fire and emergency will
be required to have their
booster by 15 February,
2022, if eligible.
For police and fire and
emergency workforces who
are involved with education,
they are required to have the
booster by 1 March 2022.
The same date applies for
the education workforce.
For all these workers, a
booster dose is mandated six
months (183 days) from the
end of their primary vaccination
course. Although, as
with the rest of the eligible
population, they will also be
eligible for a booster three
months after their primary
vaccine course.
How effective is the
booster against Covid-19?
The Ministry of Health
said data from Pfizer
showed that a booster dose
was 95.6 percent effective
against the coronavirus,
including the Delta variant,
compared to those who did
not receive a booster.
The ministry said evidence
showed that after six
months of a full vaccination
course, protection against
Covid-19 was reduced and
so a 'top up' vaccine would
help boost immunity against
the virus.
"We already know that
booster vaccinations significantly
lift an individual's
immunity, reducing the
spread and the severity of
Covid-19.
"Data is emerging now
that booster doses of Pfizer
provide better protection
than two doses do when it
comes to the Omicron variant."
The UK Health Security
Agency (UKHSA) analysed
more than 600,000 confirmed
and suspected cases
of the Omicron variant up to
29 December in England
and found a booster vaccine
is 88 percent effective at preventing
people ending up in
hospital with Covid-19.
The data confirms that two
doses of the AstraZeneca,
Pfizer or Moderna vaccines
offers little protection
against being infected with
Omicron.
Why has the time
between the second dose
and booster been shortened?
Before the highly infectious
Omicron variant
arrived in the community,
Covid-19 Response Minister
Chris Hipkins had said it
was expected that every case
coming into New Zealand's
border would be of the variant.
The government hopes
having widespread administration
of the Covid-19 vaccine
booster will help
decrease the risk of transmission
and minimise the
impact on the healthcare
system.
"Don't think getting a
booster is just about keeping
yourself safe," said Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern.
"It's about ensuring our hospital
and health system is not
overwhelmed so those you
love and everyone in our
community who needs our
hospitals can get the care
they need."
Hipkins said the change in
interval would give a chance
for people, especially Maori,
to receive a booster and
increase their protection
before Omicron took hold.
Ministry of Health Chief
Science Advisor Ian Town
said bringing it forward to
three months, which had
been done in the United
Kingdom and in many
Australian states, meant
New Zealand could get the
level of antibodies at a peak
before it was facing widespread
transmission of
Omicron.
There did not appear to be
any downside to reducing
the interval to three months,
he said.
Director-General of
Health Dr Ashley
Bloomfield said speeding up
the booster rollout was a key
part of the country's
response to Omicron.
- Published with special
permission from RNZ