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ATAGI has recently published new advice for 2025 on COVID-19 vaccines.
PRIMARY COURSE OF VACCINATION
Your primary course of vaccination is the first time you receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Most people now only need 1 first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as their primary course. You may need 2 doses if you are at high risk of severe illness.
Talk to your usual healthcare provider to decide how many primary course doses you need. Most Australians have already received their primary course of vaccination.
6 months to 5 years | 5 to 18 years | 18 years and older | |
|---|---|---|---|
Without risk factors | Not eligible | Not eligible | Recommended a single primary dose |
With risk factors* | Eligible for 2 primary doses and eligible for a third primary dose | Eligible for a single primary dose | Recommended a single primary dose |
With severe immunocompromise | Recommended 2 primary doses and eligible for a third dose | Recommended 2 primary doses and eligible for a third dose | Recommended 2 primary doses and eligible for a third dose |
*Includes those with a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness (refer to Australian Immunisation Handbook).
ADVICE ABOUT REGULAR COVID-19 BOOSTER VACCINATIONS
Regular COVID-19 vaccinations (also known as boosters) are the best way to maintain your protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.
They are especially important for anyone aged 65 years or older and people at higher risk of severe COVID-19.
As with all vaccinations, people are encouraged to discuss the vaccine options available to them with their health practitioner. You can also use the booster eligibility tool to determine whether you are eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccination.
Less than 5 years | 5 to 17 years | 18 to 64 years | 65 to 74 years | 75 years and older | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Without severe immunocompromise | Not recommended | Not recommended | Eligible for a dose every 12 months | Recommended every 12 months and are eligible for a dose every 6 months | Recommended every 6 months |
With severe immunocompromise | Not recommended | Eligible for a dose every 12 months | Recommended every 12 months and are eligible for a dose every 6 months | Recommended every 12 months and are eligible for a dose every 6 months | Recommended every 6 months |
ANTI-VIRAL MEDICATIONS
In December 2024, the eligibility criteria for the two approved COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments, Paxlovid and Lagevrio, were altered in Australia.
OLDER AUSTRALIANS AND FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible for antiviral treatments if you are:
The following is a list of risk factors (conditions) contributing to the PBS definition of high risk for development of severe disease:
PEOPLE AGED 18 YEARS OR OLDER
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible for antiviral treatments if you:
have previously been hospitalised from COVID-19 and are re-infected
are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
People who are considered moderately to severely immunocompromised include those with:
1. Any primary or acquire immunodeficiencies including:
2. Any significantly immunocompromising condition where, in the last 3 months, the patient has received:
3. Any significantly immunocompromising condition(s) where, in the last 12 months the person has received anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody treatment.
4. Cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, and congenital heart disease.
5. Living with disability with multiple conditions and/or frailty.
See below for more information, including the full list of risk factors
Medicare will now cover a telehealth consultation by a GP for the purpose of prescribing COVID-19 antivirals. This temporary measure will cover a longer consultation by phone to ensure antivirals are safely prescribed by doctors and ensure as many people as possible can access these treatments. Millions of Australians are now eligible to access antivirals on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), but they need to start taking the medication within five days of COVID-19 symptoms.
PROPHYLACTIC TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR SEVERELY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
Evusheld (tixagevimab/cilgavimab), previously used for COVID-19 prevention in people with compromised immune systems, has been discontinued as of June 2024.
If you are living with MS and concerned about COVID-19, we recommend speaking with your healthcare provider about the most up-to-date options for prevention and treatment.
Watch some specialist MS healthcare workers talk about MS and COVID-19 preventative medications and antiviral treatments –Â here.
Past ATAGI COVID-19 statements can be accessed here.
The Australian government has released a National COVID-19 Health Management Plan for 2023 which can be accessed here.
An international MS group, led by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) is gathering information about the pandemic and MS from all over the world. To access the latest information, please click here.
As the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination roll-out remain global health priorities, collecting, sharing and analysing data from all around the world is more important than ever. This data sharing initiative means we will gain faster and more accurate insights into COVID-19 and MS, to help people with MS and their healthcare teams make evidence-based decisions on how to manage their condition during the pandemic, how to manage the illness if they develop a COVID-19 infection and how to manage the COVID-19 vaccination process.
For more information about how the MS global data sharing initiative works, and how the data is used, please click here.
The unique aspects of MS and specific medications make it difficult to give broad and general advice. If you still have questions that are not answered in these resources, please contact your neurologist, MS healthcare team or your GP. Together we can build on the extensive information we already have gained through the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to help people and families living with MS to live their best lives possible as we navigate this new world.Â
