With concerns raised about the new Omicron variant and more and more venues stipulating COVID vaccine mandates, we answered your common questions with no-fuss, simple facts.
Should I be concerned about Omicron?
You may be surprised to know there have been more than 30,000 different variations of the COVID-19 virus worldwide!
In Australia, there have been 13 major variants.
Omicron has raised alarm bells because the World Health Organisation (WHO) has labelled it a “variant of concern”.
So far, there is no indication that the Omicron variant causes more severe disease. WHO says it will take a couple of weeks to work out if it is more infectious and if it affects effectiveness of current vaccines.
As we are still learning about Omicron, many Governments have taken a more cautious approach and paused their plans to open up. While we are waiting, it is important to remember that masks and social distancing work on all forms of COVID.
New variants are also one of the reasons we need to progress next generation vaccines, such as the DNA-based vaccine being developed here in Adelaide.
How do I get my booster shot?
All people aged over 18 who had their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine more than six months ago, are eligible for a booster shot.
Clinical trials have shown the COVID-19 vaccines protect against symptoms and severe disease. And just like other vaccines like the flu, booster doses are required and recommended by ATAGI after six months.
Regardless of which vaccine you had originally, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine approved for a booster dose.
Simply visit any SA vaccination site to receive your booster shot.
mySA Gov
How do I show proof of my vaccination?
Your ‘mySA Gov’ app on your phone is the app you use to scan QR codes everywhere. This is the same app you can use to show your proof of vaccination at a venue which has mandated COVID vaccination.
To link your vaccination certificate to ‘mySA Gov’, you will first need to have the certificate linked to your Medicare account and/or the Federal Government’s ‘myGov’ site.
There are simple instructions on how to do this on the ServicesAustralia.Gov.Au website.
Once those steps are complete, you will be able to go into your ‘mySA Gov’ app, click VaxCheck and follow the prompts to link your certificate from Medicare.
