Covid-19 Vaccine- Everything You Need to Know If you are Older or Living with a Disability In Australia
People around the globe were waiting for the covid-19 vaccine for the past year. Like other vaccines, the Covid-19 immunization trains your immune system to recognize and fight against the Coronavirus. The vaccine lowers or eliminates your risk of developing covid-19 if you come in contact with the virus.
The Covid-19 vaccine is helpful in
- Preventing you from developing Covid-19 symptoms
- Reducing the severity of the infection if you still get infected.
The Covid-19 vaccination has already begun in many countries, including Australia. Recently, the vaccination has been rolled out in the country. There is a huge undertaking that requires careful planning.
The rollout is being done properly in phases, starting with people at higher risk, such as older people who have a high risk of encountering the virus.
Apart from the older people, people living with disabilities are also at high risk of severe illness due to the Covid-19 vaccination. Before getting vaccinated, people with disabilities should talk to their doctors about their health conditions.
There are a few important things to keep in mind about the Covid-19 vaccine, and people with disability should take extra care as they may get very sick after getting the Covid-19 vaccine.
There are specific eligibility criteria for the vaccination. One must go through Covid-19 vaccine guidance to be prepared for the vaccine.
The Australian government is looking at the process of selecting, buying, and tolerating the corrrona virus vaccines. Each state government delivers the vaccine to its population.
When to get your Covid-19 vaccine? What are the eligibility criteria?
- Phase 1A– Quarantine, border, and front-line length, aged care and health care staff, and residents will get vaccinated in this phase.
- Phase 1B– In this phase, adults over 80, adults with a specified medical condition, adults with a disability, critical and high-risk workers, including defense, police, fire, emergency services, will get vaccinated.
- Phase 2A– Adults under 60-65 and 50-59 will get the vaccine under this phase. Other critical and high-risk workers will also get vaccinated under this phase.
- Phase 2B– anyone missed under the previous rounds will get the vaccine in this round.
These were the phases of vaccination of Covid-19, and people with disabilities can be a part of any of these phases. Some states include people with disabilities in phases 1A and 1B.
To get the proper guidance, talk to your state health department. They will provide you the updated information on when the vaccine is available and when you can be vaccinated.
When will I get my Covid-19 vaccine?
If you are an Australian senior citizen living in your own home or an Australian citizen with a temporary or permanent disability, you fall under group 1B. You can check your eligibility criteria by talking with your health care providers.
The Australian government hopes to have vaccinated every eligible Australian citizen by October 2021. Many factors can affect the rollout, including the supply of vaccines, any new evidence about Covid-19.
Which vaccine will I get?
The therapeutic Goods Administrative has approved two vaccines for use in Australia- the Pfizer vaccine and the other one is Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine.
People in group 1A will receive the Pfizer vaccine, which
- Needs special cold storage at -70 c
- Two doses per person
- The vaccine is expected to be 95% effective.
People in other groups will get the Astrazeneca vaccine, which
- Kept at a manageable temperature of 4 C
- It needs 2 doses per person
- Is 70% effective
- It is manufactured locally, which reduces dependence on buying from overseas.
What to expect after the vaccination? Are there any side effects?
All the vaccines cause some side effects, and the Covid-19 vaccine isn’t an exception. The covid-19 vaccine may cause mid-side effects like pain, redness, swelling on the arm, headache, tiredness, low-grade fever, and nausea.
These side effects are normal and last only a few days. There is nothing to worry about the side effects as they are pretty common. If your side effects last longer than normal, you may consult your doctor.
A few things to remember about the vaccine doses
With some Covid-19 vaccines, you will need two doses to be fully protected from the virus. There has to be a gap between the first and second dose of the vaccine.
The timing between the first and second dose depends on the type of vaccine you get. You should get your second dose of the vaccine as close to the recommended interval as possible.
Is the Covid-19 vaccine safe for people with disabilities?
Like all the other vaccines, the Covid-19 vaccines have gone through various tests to prove their efficiency before the launch. The vaccines are safe for everyone, and both vaccines have met the TGA robust regulatory requirements.
There are no long-term effects of the Covid-19 vaccine, and people with disability can take the vaccine without any worries.
How can Hale Foundation help?
RCA is an NDIS support service provider providing excellent services to people with disabilities and helping them to live a better life.
If you have any doubts about the Covid-19 vaccination and want to know the Dos and don’ts, you can reach out to us, and we will help you with the Covid-19 vaccine guidance and much more.