As winter begins, a new study has found that getting a COVID-19 booster at the same time as the flu vaccination could reduce the rate of hospital admissions for coronavirus.
In a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, Burnet Institute researchers found that offering COVID-19 vaccination boosters alongside the flu shot could reduce the hospital admission rate for COVID-19 by up to 14 per cent.
It comes amid a renewed push by experts for Australians to get the COVID-19 booster as the NB. 1.8.1 variant has driven up infections.
Researchers used mathematical models to compare scenarios where COVID-19 vaccines were delivered at different times of the year.
The results showed that even though COVID-19 was not seasonal like influenza, increasing COVID-19 booster rates by offering them at the same time as the influenza vaccine was still likely to be an effective public health strategy.
In the last six months, there have been 1.3 million doses of COVID boosters administered to people aged 18 years and over.
Experts have been proactive in their push for higher vaccination rates.
Among them is Burnet Institute head of modelling and biostatistics, and co-author of the study, Associate professor Nick Scott.
He said offering both vaccinations at the same time could also be a simple way to increase vaccination coverage.
"COVID-19 can lead to a range of health complications and results in more hospitalisations and deaths every year than influenza," he said.
"By offering a COVID-19 booster vaccination alongside the annual influenza vaccination, we could aim to achieve similar vaccination coverage for COVID-19 as influenza, which would make a meaningful difference in reducing hospital admissions and deaths," he said.
- In 2023, there were 62,000 hospitalisations and 3,696 deaths related to COVID-19 in Australia.
- By comparison, there were 376 deaths from influenza in 2023.
- Annual vaccination coverage for influenza is currently 32 per cent.
Another of the study's co-authors, mathematical modeller Fenella McAndrew, said the research showed that getting vaccinated at any time against COVID-19 was a benefit, so it made sense to receive both vaccinations together.
"Unlike influenza, COVID-19 doesn't have a well-defined season, and when we modelled different scenarios, the percentage of people receiving booster vaccinations was more important than the timing of the vaccination," she said.
"The COVID-19 vaccine gives 85 per cent protection against severe disease, which is significantly higher than the influenza vaccine, which offers 44 per cent protection against hospitalisation," she said.
With such a reliable vaccine available for COVID-19, it makes sense for people to receive regular booster vaccinations to protect themselves, she added.
COVID-19 infection can lead to serious illness that can impact every system in the body, leading to a variety of health concerns including cognitive decline, immune system damage, liver impairment, kidney disease and reduced lung function.
It can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
According to the Department of Health, regular COVID-19 vaccinations are the best way to maintain your protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.
