The Queensland border will be opening in the next few days (Monday 13/12/2021) as we hit the 80% double-vaccination mark. This will make it much easier for people to travel over the border to finally see family and friends in other states over the holiday period.
Even though this may be welcomed by a lot of people, it may also be a cause for concern among some – as this increased travel will undoubtedly mean increased transmission of COVID-19 in Queensland. For this reason, it is important the PLHIV are fully vaccinated or are booked in to receive their vaccinations. For those who have been fully vaccinated, vaccine boosters have been made available for eligible people, aged 18 and older who received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine 6+ months ago.
The latest ATAGI advice, defines eligible people as having risk factors for severe COVID-19. This includes:
- individuals aged 50 years and older
- people with underlying medical conditions
- residents of aged care and disability facilities
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults) and/or
- those at increased occupational risk of COVID-19
People living with HIV may fall into one or more of these groups. If this is you, please consult with your GP to determine whether you should get a vaccine booster.
There is also some fear in the community about the Omicron variant. The details about this variant are still being researched and we will only know more about it in the coming weeks. However, current data has been described as promising, and could mean that the symptoms associated to this variant may not be as severe as those seen with the Delta and Alpha strains.
We will be keeping an eye out for any new information and will provide updates when any relevant research is published.
Please stay safe, remember to physically distance (wearing masks when you can’t) and stay socially connected.
If you are a person living with HIV who would like to talk to someone living with HIV, please feel free to contact QPP via our messaging portal on our website or telephone on 1800 636 241.
