A winter or fourth booster of the Covid vaccine is now available and free to all people in Australia managing their diabetes with medication following advocacy by Diabetes Australia.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is advising the winter COVID-19 dose can be administered at the same time as the influenza vaccine.

Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain wrote to ATAGI on May 16 urging it to expand availability of fourth booster doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Australians living with diabetes. People with diabetes are at greater risk of becoming severely ill or being hospitalised if they contract Covid-19 or the flu.

“People living with diabetes need the same access to these vaccines as those living with other chronic conditions. We were grateful that the latest update from ATAGI addressed these concerns,” Ms Cain said.

ATAGI has recommended a Covid-19 booster at least four months after the previous booster dose or four months after a previous Covid-19 infection.

You are eligible for a fourth booster if you meet the below criteria:

·  Adults aged 65 years and older

·  Residents 16 years and older of aged care or disability care facilities

·  People aged 16 years and older who are severely immunocompromised (as defined in the ATAGI statement on use of a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine)

·  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 50 years and older.

The expanded criteria now applies to people aged 16-64 years who have a medical condition that increases the risk of severe Covid-19 illness, including diabetes.

Also included are people with disability with significant or complex health needs or multiple comorbidities which increase the risk of poor outcomes from Covid-19.

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