From next Monday 5 September 2022, children aged between six months and five years who are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 due to health conditions such as cancer, can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Expanded eligibility for antiviral medications for people who test positive for COVID-19, and pre-exposure prevention medications have also been announced.
For severely immunocompromised people, including many patients with cancer, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends that people:
- aged between six months and five receive two primary vaccine doses
- aged five to 11 get three primary COVID-19 vaccine doses
- aged 12 to 15 get three primary vaccine doses plus one booster dose (four doses in total)
- aged 16 and over get three primary vaccine doses plus two booster doses (five doses in total).
Many people affected by cancer are immunocompromised – either because of their type of cancer, such as blood cancers, or as a result of their treatment, such as chemotherapy. This makes them more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection.
‘Primary doses’ refer to the initial course of a vaccine which helps protect against COVID-19. The ‘booster dose’ is an additional dose that helps strengthen the immune response against COVID-19 as the primary doses wane over time. To check eligibility for primary doses and boosters, visit the Australian Government website here.
For people who get COVID-19, oral antiviral medications (tablets, capsules) are available to help stop the infection from becoming severe. Antiviral treatments work best when taken within five days of the onset of symptoms.
