Shepp's COVID-19 vaccine rollout starts next week. Here are the answers to your questions

“People receiving the vaccine are helping to protect themselves, their family, their colleagues and the broader community from COVID-19 health implications,” he said.

But as social media swirls with information (and misinformation) about COVID-19 vaccines, it can be tough to know what is true and what is false.

Got questions? Here's what we know so far:

Do I have to get a vaccine?

The COVID-19 vaccine will be voluntary, universal and free for everyone living in Australia.

The Federal Government aims to have as many Australians as possible choose to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

If people choose not to have a COVID-19 vaccine, this will not affect their family’s eligibility for Family Tax Benefit Part A or childcare fee assistance, which only includes National Immunisation Program vaccines for those aged younger than 20.

How will the vaccine be rolled out in Shepparton?

Goulburn Valley Health has been chosen to manage one of nine Victorian COVID-19 vaccination hubs.

The McIntosh Centre at Shepparton Showgrounds has been confirmed as the chosen site for the local vaccination hub.

Shepparton's rollout will begin in the week of March 8 with priority 1a frontline healthcare workers, including 150 staff working in GV Health's emergency department, COVID-19 testing and respiratory ward and critical care unit.

This will be followed by the public aged care residents located at GV Health aged care facilities at the Shepparton, Tatura and Rushworth campuses from March 15.

Meanwhile the Commonwealth will work with private sector disability and aged care facilities – such as not-for-profit Shepparton Villages – to provide the vaccine for residents and workers.

A date still hasn't been confirmed for when this private sector rollout will begin.

Who will be included in each phase of the rollout? And when is each phase expected to kick off?

Phase 1a will include quarantine and border workers, frontline healthcare workers and aged care and disability staff and workers.

Most people in the first phase of the rollout are expected to be vaccinated by April.

Phase 1b will include adults over 70, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 55 and younger adults with underlying medical conditions, including those with a disability.

Critical and high-risk workers, including defence personnel, police, fire emergency services and meat processing workers, will also be a part of this phase.

People included in this phase are estimated to receive the jab between early March and late April.

Phase 2a will see adults aged 50 to 69, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 to 54 and other critical and high-risk workers vaccinated between May and late June.

This will be followed by “the balance of the adult population” in phase 2b, who are due to receive the jab between late June and early July.

The third and final phase will be children under 18, set to be vaccinated between early September and early November.

This group will only receive injections “if recommended”.

To learn more about the phases and where you fit, visit covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility

Will there be enough vaccine for everyone?

The Federal Government has invested more than $3 billion to secure access to COVID-19 vaccines through advanced purchase agreements with AstraZeneca, Novavax and Pfizer.

Purchase of a diverse portfolio of vaccines will also allow the government to support our Pacific and South-East Asian neighbours, as vaccine doses can be donated or on-sold (with no mark-up) to other countries or international organisations.

Can my GP give me the COVID-19 vaccine or will I have to go to a different location to receive it?

Some, but not all, general practices will be able to administer COVID-19 vaccines.

Do people have to receive two doses of the same type of COVID-19 vaccine for it to be effective?

In order to be fully vaccinated, an individual must have two doses of the same vaccine, given at the appropriate dosing schedule.

Will the vaccine be effective against new variants?

So far, clinical trials are showing that the Pfizer vaccine induces antibodies that can respond to a variety of mutations.

Australian health authorities will continue to closely monitor developments and conduct their own genetic examination of local cases.

Am I able to jump the queue to be vaccinated sooner?

The three priority groups are: (i) those at increased risk of exposure; (ii) those who have an increased risk, relative to others, of developing severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19; and (iii) those working in services critical to societal functioning.

The Federal Government will continue to work with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to further develop advice around priority groups as vaccine supply widens and further clinical trial data becomes available.

What are likely side-effects from COVID-19 vaccines?

As part of regulatory assessment, the Therapeutic Goods Administration considers information about possible side-effects.

For a vaccine to be registered for use in Australia, the benefits must outweigh the risks. Common reactions to vaccination include pain, redness and/or swelling where you received the needle, mild fever and/or headache.

The TGA will continue to monitor vaccines after they are registered to detect and respond to any safety concerns.

Can pregnant and breastfeeding women get vaccinated?

Clinical trials for new medicines do not typically include pregnant or breastfeeding participants.

In preparation for the vaccine rollout, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is finalising clinical advice for healthcare providers on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia in 2021.

This is likely to include advice in relation to pregnant women. This advice will be provided as soon as it is received.

For more information, visit health.gov.au/resources/publications and search for "pregnancy".

How will misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines be addressed?

As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out in Australia, all media will play a vital role in presenting accurate, trusted and evidence-based information.

The Department of Health has said it understands the role of social media in perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines and is working to make sure credible information and informed voices are present.

Once an individual is vaccinated, can they still transmit the virus?

A vaccination should not be viewed as a complete substitute for other public health interventions. It should be viewed as supplementary to other measures.

Ongoing research is required to understand if vaccinated individuals can still transmit the virus to others.

For this reason, established public health practices of testing, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation will remain in place until evidence is established that the vaccination prevents transmission.

Why are we so late with the vaccine when other countries like the United States and United Kingdom are rolling it out already?

Before any COVID-19 vaccine is approved for use in Australia, it will be subject to the well-established and rigorous assessment and approval processes of the TGA – part of the Department of Health.

Other countries, such as the US and UK, have emergency use provisions that allow for access to unapproved vaccines prior to full safety, quality and efficacy assessment.

Will foreign nationals who are temporarily in Australia be eligible to receive the vaccine?

Everyone living in Australia will be able to receive the vaccine for free. This includes people on temporary visas, refugees, asylum seekers, those in detention centres and those with cancelled visas.

Where can I find information in languages other than English?

The Department of Health offers translated resources on its website at health.gov.au

● Information for this Q&A was sourced from health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines