Boosterated!

 I'm sixty six, something that puts me in the category of 'Older Australians' and makes me eligible for a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine - which confusingly both the Victorian and NSW governments call a 'winter dose'.

Anyway, I was eligible, so it was off the the vaccination hub in Wodonga this morning.

Getting a vaccination locally is still not as easy as it should be - they're closing the pop-up clinic at the hospital, our local GP practice is not administering them, which just leaves the pharmacy in town if you want it in Beechworth.

Unlike previous visits to the Wodonga hub, there were more staff than clients on what was a damp and drizzly Friday morning, meaning I went straight in and was out in twenty minutes, fifteen of which was spent waiting to see if I turned green or started foaming at the mouth.

As always the whole experience from booking to injection was pretty smooth and professional. Vaccinations are never pleasant, but process really was simple and straightforward.

I had Pfizer, and this time around I don't feel any side effects other than a very slight headache, which could just be as a result of feeling a bit sinusy, given that today is cold and damp and a lot of people have fired up their wood heaters for the first time this autumn.

In theory I could have got my flu shot at the same time, but that wasn't on offer as an option through the vaccine hub, so I'll have to get my flu shot through the local health centre.

I'm guessing, and it is only a guess, that the idea is that if an annual coronavirus shot becomes the norm calling it a winter dose rather than a fourth dose will help normalise it as one of these things you just get done, like you have your covid shot and have your flu shot at the same time as part of your normal winter preparations ...