Associate Professor Margie Danchin, Chair, Collaboration on Social Science and Immunisation
If you’re frustrated by patients, family members or friends spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, try a ‘truth sandwich’.
The ‘truth sandwich’ technique involves clearly stating the truth, stating how the truth contradicts the myth and restating the truth, Associate Professor Margie Danchin, Chair, Collaboration on Social Science and Immunisation, told a Q&A on COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers.
A/Prof. Danchin also suggested providing personalised information to patients, based on their age and health concerns, talking about vaccine safety and effectiveness, and addressing concerns about potential side-effects.
Also speaking at the webinar were Professor Ben Cowie, Senior Medical Advisor, Executive Director, COVID-19 Immunisation Program, Department of Health and Grace Carroll, an infectious diseases nurse from a COVID-19 ward at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Ms Carroll was working on a COVID-19 ward during Melbourne’s second wave of COVID-19 infections in 2020 and contracted the illness.
A/Prof. Danchin said approximately 70 per cent of the population had to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, although the figure was not exact and depended on the vaccine and COVID-19 variants.
COVID-19 FAQs
This information was published on 10 June 2021 and should be checked against any subsequent updates.
Can I get coronavirus from a vaccine?
No, neither the Pfizer nor the AstraZeneca vaccines contain the COVID-19 virus. They cannot give you COVID-19.
Are the vaccines safe?
Generally, yes. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been associated with a rare condition – thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (TTS) – that involves blood clotting and low platelet levels.
From early April to 16 June 2021, 60 cases of confirmed or probable TTS were reported in Australia, resulting in two deaths. After seven confirmed or probable cases of TTS in people aged 50-59 in the week of 9-16 June, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) announced on 17 June it would raise the age recommended to receive AstraZeneca to 60 years and older, from 50 years.
The seven cases took the number of TTS cases among 50-59 year olds up to 16 June 2021 to 2.7 per 100,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses.
In making the decision, ATAGI considered several factors, which it continues to monitor:
- The potential risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 over the coming months
- Minimising harms to people due to adverse events following immunisation
- Australian data on the age-specific risks and severity of TTS following AstraZeneca
- The expected vaccine supply over the months ahead
- The impacts of any change in recommendation on the COVID-19 vaccine program.
Data from the UK indicates that TTS is much less common after second doses, with an overall incidence of 1.5 cases per million doses. ATAGI has recommended that people of any age without contraindications who have had their first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine without any serious adverse effects can be given their second dose.
Read the ATAGI statement on revised recommendations on the use of AstraZeneca.
Do I have a choice of vaccines?
Generally no, the type of vaccine you will be provided is determined by your age. If you are aged 60 years or over, you will be offered AstraZeneca and if aged 16-59, Pfizer.
How effective are the vaccines available in Australia?
AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines both:
- reduce the risk of symptomatic infection by 80-90 per cent
- reduce the risk of being hospitalised with COVID-19 by 90 per cent after first dose
- reduce household transmission by 50 per cent even if infection occurs in the vaccinated person
- provide protection from infection with current vaccines persists for at least six months
- will likely require boosters in future.
Can I still get COVID-19 after I am vaccinated?
Yes, as no vaccine is 100 per cent effective. However, the vaccine will have trained your immune system to recognise COVID-19, so will reduce the risk of symptomatic infection by 80-90 per cent, drastically reduce the risk of being hospitalised and reduce household transmission.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine effective against new variants of the virus?
The latest evidence suggests:
- The effectiveness of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines may be lower against some of the new variants, especially after the first dose of vaccine.
- Protection against the new variants is significantly increased after people have their second dose.
- Both vaccines significantly reduce the risk of people becoming seriously ill or being hospitalized with COVID-19.
Is it safe to get vaccinated if I am pregnant or planning pregnancy?
A joint statement issued on 9 June by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and ATAGI about COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women recommended that pregnant women are routinely offered the Pfizer vaccine at any stage of pregnancy.
This is because the risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 is significantly higher for pregnant women and their unborn baby.
There is no evidence of increased risk of pregnancy complications for women after vaccination and no evidence of increased risk of complications for breastfeeding.
I am afraid of needles, is there another way I can receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
Unfortunately, no. At this time, the only way to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is through an intra-muscular injection.
The immunisation teams at vaccination clinics are aware that many people may be afraid of needles. When you attend your vaccination, please let your immunisation nurse know of your concerns.
I have had COVID-19. Should I get the vaccine?
Yes. Getting the vaccine will protect you against getting COVID-19 again. And it will reduce your chances of passing it on to someone else. Check with your doctor about how long you should wait after recovery before getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
If I have a history of anaphylaxis, can I receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes you can. However, before receiving your first dose, you should discuss this with your doctor or allergy specialist. For some people, precautions may be needed, such as being vaccinated in a special clinic in hospital. All people with a history of anaphylaxis to a vaccine need to wait for 30 minutes after vaccination to be monitored for any reaction.
Can I have the flu jab at the same time as my COVID-19 vaccination?
In most cases, people should wait seven days between receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and a flu vaccine. The previous recommendation was to wait 14 days, however this advice was updated.
If I am aged 70 or over, should I be going to my GP for the vaccination?
You can choose where to receive your vaccination. Some other people aged over 70 have said they would prefer to have their doctor vaccinate them.
How do the vaccines work?
The Pfizer vaccine
Coronaviruses, like the one that causes COVID-19, are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface, called spike proteins. These spike proteins are ideal targets for vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is an mRNA vaccine.
The vaccine DOES NOT contain ANY virus, so it cannot give you COVID-19. It cannot change your DNA in any way.
Messenger RNA is genetic material (not DNA) that tells your body how to make proteins. The mRNA in the vaccine teaches your cells how to make copies of the spike protein. If your body is exposed to the real virus later on, your body will recognise it and fight it off.
After the mRNA delivers the information, your cells break it down and get rid of it.
AstraZeneca vaccine
Coronaviruses, like the one that causes COVID-19, are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface, called spike proteins. These spike proteins are ideal targets for vaccines.
AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. A viral vector vaccine uses a harmless version of a different virus – called a ‘vector’ to deliver information to the body that helps protect you. The vaccine teaches your body how to make copies of the spike protein.
If your body is exposed to the real virus later on, your body will recognise it and fight it off.
The vaccine DOES NOT contain ANY virus, so it cannot give you COVID-19. It cannot change your DNA in any way.
