COVID vaccines myth busting #6

Do fit and healthy people have to get vaccinated?

It is not yet known how long the protection of the COVID-19 vaccine will last. We will know more through ongoing research. Clinical trials are currently happening to find out if we will need booster doses on an annual or longer basis.

What we do know is that evidence shows the Pfizer (Comirnaty) and the AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe disease, people going to hospital and dying. The aim of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program is to reduce COVID-19 related harm. Vaccines do this by preventing serious illness and death, and, as much as possible, transmission of the virus that causes disease.

Will we need to get a COVID-19 booster shot each year?

It is not yet known how long the COVID-19 vaccine protection will last. Clinical trials are currently happening to find out if we will need booster doses on an annual or longer basis. To be fully vaccinated in the initial vaccine rollout, a person must have two doses of the same vaccine, given at the appropriate dosing schedule.

Were COVID-19 vaccines rushed through approvals or given emergency use authorisations in Australia?

Australia has made a full and thorough assessment of the Pfizer (Comirnaty) and AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) vaccines.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) provisionally approved these vaccines after a complete assessment of all the available data. This is the same process as any vaccine approved in this country. The TGA will only register and approve a COVID-19 vaccine if it is safe and effective. No part of the process has been rushed, and there was no emergency authorisation granted. The TGA does not have an “Emergency Use Authorisation” pathway for COVID-19 vaccines.

Some countries are using versions of Emergency Use Authorisations (such as the UK, US and Canada) to urgently make vaccines available. This is because of the large number of COVID-19 cases and risk in those countries. The urgency of the global pandemic means that researchers and developers are prioritising the progress of COVID-19 vaccines. This has allowed countries to deliver safe and effective vaccines faster than has been done in the past.

The TGA has engaged early with pharmaceutical companies about their vaccines and is accepting rolling data. This means that the TGA can assess clinical trial data as it becomes available, rather than at the end of the three clinical trial phases. This speeds up the review process. There have been unprecedented levels of funding as combatting the pandemic is a global priority and significant investment in research and manufacturing facilities. New technologies have helped scientists understand the coronavirus earlier and in great detail. This has allowed them to start working on vaccine design faster.