By Domenic Chindamo – Pharmacist, Lygon Everyday Chemist, Brunswick East

COVID-19 hasn’t gone away! We explain what’s happening with COVID in Australia in 2025, who’s still getting seriously sick, ATAGI’s latest vaccine advice, and how the new COMIRNATY LP.8.1 booster can help protect you and your family.

Is COVID still a thing?

Short answer: YES!

In Australia, more than 12 million cases of COVID-19 were notified between 2020 and 2024, and by the end of 2022 at least two-thirds of Australian adults had been infected at least once.

Even though we’re well past lockdowns, COVID-19 has remained:

• A leading cause of death from acute respiratory infection between 2022 and 2024
• A major cause of hospitalisation and death in people over 70 years

The good news: vaccination and prior infection have reduced the average severity. 

The not-so-good news: for older people, those with chronic health conditions, and anyone with a weakened immune system, COVID-19 can still be very serious.

What’s been happening in the last 3 years?

Since the big Omicron waves:

• 2022: peaks in cases, hospitalisations and deaths, especially in older age groups
• 2023-early 2024: overall numbers dropped, but COVID-19 still caused thousands of hospitalisations and deaths, with the vast majority in people aged 70+
• 2024-2025: waves have become more “rolling” and less seasonal, but holiday periods and big gatherings still drive spikes. One recent example: Queensland saw hospitalisations more than double over the Christmas–New Year period during a wave from a new variant, with most patients over 65 and not up-to-date with vaccination.

National surveillance continues to show ongoing hospitalisations and deaths every week, largely in older and high-risk Australians.

So no - COVID-19 hasn’t disappeared. It has shifted into a pattern more like other serious respiratory infections: always there in the background, with surges when conditions are right.

Meet the updated LP.8.1 vaccine

Viruses keep changing, and vaccines are updated to keep up. The newest formulation is COMIRNATY LP.8.1 – a Pfizer mRNA vaccine targeting the LP.8.1 sub-lineage of SARS-CoV-2, designed to better match currently circulating strains. 

It has now been registered by the TGA on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

Updating the vaccine strain is similar to what we do with flu vaccines every year: tweak the formula so your immune system is trained against the latest version of the virus, aiming to improve protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and death rather than just mild infection.

ATAGI’s 2025 advice – how often should adults be vaccinated?

ATAGI and the Australian Immunisation Handbook now suggest a simpler, maintenance-style schedule for adults in 2025:

• All adults (18+)
• Generally one COVID-19 vaccine every 12 months is recommended.
• Adults 75+
• A dose every 6 months is recommended, because this group has the highest risk of severe disease and hospitalisation.
• Adults 65-74 and adults 18-64 with severe immunocompromise
• A dose every 12 months is recommended, and they are eligible for a dose every 6 months after an individual risk–benefit discussion.
• Younger adults without risk factors (18–64)
• Usually a 12-monthly dose is enough. Some may choose more frequent doses if they’re carers, healthcare workers, or live with very high-risk people.

Your exact schedule can depend on:

• Age
• Medical conditions (heart, lung, diabetes, cancer, etc.)
• Medications that affect your immune system
• How long it’s been since your last COVID infection or vaccine

That’s where your pharmacist and GP come in – to help apply ATAGI’s guidance to your personal situation.

Why December and January matter

COVID-19 doesn’t follow a neat winter-only pattern like flu, but we do see spikes around:

• Christmas and New Year gatherings
• Summer events and travel
• Visits to older parents and grandparents

Recent Australian data show that when a new variant takes off in summer, hospitalisations can jump quickly – especially among over-65s who aren’t up-to-date with boosters.

For many people, getting a booster in late spring or early summer is a smart way to:

• Top up protection before holiday travel
• Reduce the chance you’ll bring COVID-19 into aged care or your parents’ home
• Lower your risk of landing in hospital if you do catch it

“I’ve already had COVID - do I still need a booster?”

Most Australians have now had COVID at least once, but immunity from infection and older vaccines fades over time. Studies and national linked data show that people with more up-to-date vaccine doses have lower rates of hospitalisation and death, across all adult age groups, including older people.

A booster with an updated vaccine like COMIRNATY LP.8.1:

• Refreshes your immune response
• Broadens protection against newer variants
• Adds an extra layer on top of whatever protection you have from previous infections

How Lygon Everyday Chemist can help

From 12 December 2025, Lygon Everyday Chemist will be offering the updated COMIRNATY LP.8.1 COVID-19 vaccine in-store.

Our pharmacists can:

• Check when you’re next due according to ATAGI guidance and the Australian Immunisation Register
• Talk through your medical conditions and medicines and help you decide if a 6- or 12-monthly schedule is better for you
• Coordinate with your GP if needed (especially for people with complex health conditions)
• Provide your COVID booster alongside other recommended vaccines where appropriate (for example, flu or other adult vaccines – timing depends on your situation).

Who should talk to us now?

It’s a good idea to book a chat or appointment if you:

• Are 75 or older
• Are 65-74, especially with health conditions like heart disease, COPD, diabetes or kidney disease
• Are 18-64 with immunocompromise (e.g. cancer treatment, organ transplant, certain medications)
• Work in healthcare, aged care or disability services
• Live with, or regularly visit, someone who’s frail or in residential aged care
• Are planning overseas travel or large family gatherings over summer

Final word: COVID-19 is still a thing - but so is protection

COVID-19 has changed shape since 2020, but it hasn’t gone away. It continues to cause serious illness and deaths in Australia, particularly in older and vulnerable people – and being up-to-date with vaccination remains one of the strongest protections we have.

If you’re unsure whether you’re due, or whether the new LP.8.1 booster is right for you, come and talk to us at Lygon Everyday Chemist. 

We’re here to help you:

• Understand the latest ATAGI advice
• Check your vaccine history
• Make a plan that fits your health, your family and your summer plans

Bookings for the new COMIRNATY LP.8.1 vaccine open from 12 December 2025.

Call us, book online if available, or pop in and speak with our team.

This article is general information only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about your individual circumstances and check the latest ATAGI and Australian Immunisation Handbook recommendations.