Had COVID recently? Here's when you should get your booster shot

While the number of new COVID-19 cases being recorded every day has decreased in recent weeks, the Omicron surge has disrupted booster vaccine timetables for many people in Australia.

And now, from the end of March 2022, people aged over 16 will only be considered "up to date" with their COVID-19 vaccinations if they've had a third jab. Those who had a second dose more than six months ago and are yet to get a booster will be considered "overdue".

You definitely can, and authorities say you should.

A booster will ensure ongoing protection from your first two doses of the jab and mean any protection you acquired after recovering from the virus is even stronger and long-lasting.

"If you've had a prior infection, you've had your primary [vaccine] course, and you had a booster, you've got the best-primed immune system that you can have,” says Catherine Bennett, Deakin University’s chair in epidemiology.

Health experts say you can book in for a booster once you've fully recovered from the acute illness. For lots of people, that's usually after about four to six weeks.

“Once your symptoms are cleared, there's really nothing stopping you being ready for that booster dose,” Professor Bennett says.

She says around the six-week mark after infection is “probably a good time to be looking to have it booked in”.

“So you get the balance right between having some reasonable protection, but if you haven't, you're not leaving it too long to leave yourself exposed to another infection.”

She adds: "If you have lingering symptoms, you probably should be seeing a doctor - and that will then help decide when you might be ready for a booster".

On 31 January, all people in Australia became eligible for a booster three months after their second dose of a vaccine.

The Department of Health says all COVID-19 vaccinations can be deferred for up to four months, boosters included. Past infection reduces the chance of reinfection for at least this amount of time, it says.

It varies from person to person, as different people may have had different infecting doses and experiences, and speeds at which they cleared the infection.

"All those things can impact your immune response," Professor Bennett says.

"[Prior infection for] some people, that might give them a short-term, quite good protection. It might last for three months. Other people, it might last for six, or it might last for a couple of weeks, or you might actually fight off that infection without building antibodies and so you might not have any special protection from it at all.

"The idea is to not wait [to get a booster] until you no longer have [natural] protection, but just wait long enough so that you're not in the active infection phase."

For the latest information on COVID-19 booster shots, including how to book yours, visit the Department of Health's website.

Read more stories from the Vaccine in Focus series.