1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,160 Speaker 1: Well, as I said, we know that there are plenty 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: of questions being asked around the territory at the moment 3 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: about the well, the booster, if you've had COVID, and 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: all sorts of other questions. Now joining me on the 5 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: line is Associate Professor Beavini Patel, the lead for the 6 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: Northern Territory COVID nineteen vaccine roll out. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Berevini. 8 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 3: Hi Katie, how are you? Yeah? 9 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 2: Really well? 10 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time, Bevini. I know 11 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: we're getting a lot of questions at the moment, lots 12 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: of people wondering as those COVID numbers continue, people who've 13 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,639 Speaker 1: then recovered from COVID wondering how long do they need 14 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 1: to wait before they get their booster. 15 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,959 Speaker 3: So it's really easy. You can get your booster as 16 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 3: soon as you've recovered from your illness, so as long 17 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 3: as you haven't got any symptoms. The medical advice now 18 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 3: is you can get it straight away once you've reached 19 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 3: your three months timeline after your second dose. 20 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: And is that the most sort of optimum time to 21 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: get it straight away or is it more effective if 22 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: you waited a little bit longer. 23 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 3: The data the research data showing us that getting it 24 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 3: as soon as your symptoms have gone is safe. So 25 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 3: it's not going to cause any any interaction with your 26 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 3: immune system, which some people are worried about. But you 27 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 3: can delay it up to four months because some people's 28 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 3: symptoms do from COVID do last quite a long time. 29 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 3: So any time from when you're feeling well up to 30 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 3: four months after your your symptoms is the current recommendation. 31 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 3: But we do know with omicron it's very important to 32 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 3: get your third dose as soon as possible because that 33 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 3: does increase your protection against severe disease compared to the 34 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 3: delta variant that we had last year. 35 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: And Bavini does our body sort of build up a 36 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: natural immunity after we've had COVID, Yeah. 37 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 3: So like so that's really what vaccines are based on. 38 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 3: So when we come into contact with the COVID virus itself, 39 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 3: our immune system gets into action and produces antibodies that 40 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 3: can help our body fight the virus. And so people 41 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 3: who've had COVID will have antibodies, and the vaccine is 42 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 3: a complimentary treatment in addition to the bodies antibodies that 43 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 3: are produced when you actually get sick or right well 44 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 3: we got work together. 45 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 2: Yep. We've had a few questions through from listeners. 46 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: One that has come through a couple of times is 47 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: the novovax vaccine available in the Northern Territory yet and 48 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: who's able to get it? 49 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 3: Great, so that's a fantastic question. So lots of people 50 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 3: have been talking about novavax. The good news is that 51 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 3: novovacs will be available in the territory from next week. 52 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 3: We've got a range of general practitioners, so your local 53 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 3: doctor and pharmacists who will be offering novovaks and people 54 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 3: can jump on the Commonwealth Government website, the Clinic Finder 55 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 3: website or the Northern Territory website and click on a 56 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 3: link and that will show the areas around the territory 57 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 3: where people can get novovaks. Now, the people who are 58 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 3: eligible are those people who haven't yet received the COVID vaccine, 59 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 3: and we know we've got really good rates of vaccination 60 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 3: right across the territory, so this is an additional option 61 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 3: for those people who haven't yet come forward for vaccination. 62 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 3: And it's available for your first and second doses only, 63 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 3: So novavax has not been approved for your third or 64 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 3: booster doses, right. 65 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: So I guess that's going to be a bit more 66 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: difficult if you are somebody who's in a profession where 67 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: the vaccine's been mandated and you need that booster shot. 68 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, so the booster shot, the preferred booster shot as 69 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 3: per the National Advice is Visor or Maderna brand, and 70 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 3: then if they're not suitable for you, then you can 71 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 3: use the Astrosenika one for the booster. The Therapeutic Goods 72 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 3: Administration is open to reviewing the data around novavax and 73 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 3: it's booster efficacy, and so we've been advised that as 74 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 3: soon as that data is comes through, the TGA will 75 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 3: review that and make a decision. 76 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: Bevini, do we know yet if this you know, if 77 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: the vaccine is going to be something that we have 78 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: to get every year. 79 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 3: Again, that's a really really important question that we're all monitoring. 80 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 3: So we've been living with COVID virus now for just 81 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 3: two years, although it feels like a lot longer, and 82 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 3: so we're really still you know, we're continuing to be 83 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 3: in the learning phase. So at this stage, the advice 84 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 3: is that we need three doses to be up to 85 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 3: date with our COVID vaccination status and the researchers and 86 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 3: the medical community that I'm part of will continue to 87 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 3: monitor what's happening both internationally and locally in Australia and 88 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 3: make appropriate recommendations. So at this stage we're unsure. Like 89 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 3: a lot of things, we just need to keep monitoring 90 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,239 Speaker 3: what the virus is doing and make decisions as time 91 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 3: goes on. 92 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: Butavini, I know some people listening this morning might be 93 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 1: thinking to themselves, why do I need to get the 94 00:05:56,040 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: booster when clearly COVID is still sort of spreading. What 95 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: is the you know, what's the main reason that you 96 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: would say that people need to have that booster? 97 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 3: Sure? So, so the the current vaccines that we have 98 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 3: that people have had their dose one and two. What 99 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 3: we've learned since late November when the omicron variant started 100 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 3: traveling around the world is that the current doses two 101 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 3: dose regime isn't as protective as it was against delta 102 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 3: and the other variants. And we know that after three 103 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 3: to four months, the efficacy or the effectiveness of the 104 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 3: vaccine reduces down by about half. And what we also 105 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 3: know from international data and data now coming out of 106 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 3: Victoria and New South Wales where they've had lots of 107 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 3: omicron cases. Is that if you have a third dose, 108 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 3: then you can increase your protection back up to you know, 109 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 3: eighty to ninety percent against hospitalizations. So I was just 110 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 3: looking at some data from Victoria yesterday. If you have 111 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 3: so people in Victoria who had three doses were four 112 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 3: and a half times less likely to go to hospital 113 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 3: than somebody who only had two doses and there were 114 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 3: six times less likely to go to hospital compared to 115 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 3: somebody with no vaccination at all. So the data is 116 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 3: compelling that the third dose gives us the protection up 117 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 3: to up to eighty ninety percent against hospitalizations. Which is 118 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 3: why we're really encouraging everybody if it's been three months 119 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 3: since your second dose, to go and make an appointment 120 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 3: for a booster and you know, at the moment, the 121 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 3: territory again is doing great. We're sitting at around forty 122 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: three percent of territorial have had a booster yeap and 123 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 3: there's plenty of appointments, you know, through your pharmacies, your 124 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 3: GPS and the anti or anti vaccination centers or your 125 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 3: aboriginal health center. There's plenty of stock and it'll be 126 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 3: great if we can bring that booster dose number up 127 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 3: into the eighty percent, like we did over the next 128 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 3: sort of four weeks. 129 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: Well, Bevini Patel, Associate Professor and lead for the Northern 130 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: Territory COVID vaccine roll out, We appreciate your time this morning. 131 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having a chat with us.