Winter doses of COVID-19 vaccine available

Winter dose: Vaccines are available at the McIntosh Centre in Shepparton. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

Winter doses of COVID-19 vaccine are now available for eligible people at the Goulburn Valley Health vaccination hub in Shepparton.

    Eligible people can have their winter dose four months after receiving their third dose.

    If you’ve had COVID-19 since your third dose then you can get your winter dose four months after the confirmed infection.

    “The winter dose is an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine to increase vaccine protection before winter,” GV Health COVID-19 vaccination program medical lead Dr Helen Roberts said.

    Those eligible for a winter dose are:

    • People aged 65 and older.
    • Residents of aged care and disability facilities.
    • People aged 16 or over who are severely immunocompromised.
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and older.

    “A winter dose is important as it can help prevent waning immunity.”

    The GV Health vaccination program has administered 215,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in the past year within the GV Public Health Unit catchment area.

    Seventy per cent of people aged 16 and above have received three doses and 53 per cent of children aged five to 11 have been administered their first doses.

    COVID-19 vaccinations continue to be available for people aged five and over.

    You can walk in or make a booking on 1800 675 398 or at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine