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| Australia news live updates: Covid booster vaccines cut to five months amid Omicron concern; NSW records 485 new cases and two deaths | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Wait time to receive booster shots cut from six months to five. Follow all the latest news | |
| It’s official. The routine interval for booster shots is being cut from six to five months. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) has issued the following new advice: | |
| Given the likelihood of ongoing transmission of both Omicron and Delta variants, ATAGI recommends COVID-19 booster vaccination for anyone aged 18 and older who completed their primary course of COVID-19 vaccination 5 or more months ago. | |
| Timely receipt of a booster dose is particularly important for people with increased exposure risk (e.g. occupational risk or outbreak areas) or who have risk factors for severe disease. | |
| Either Comirnaty (Pfizer) or Spikevax (Moderna) are recommended for use as a booster vaccine, and are considered equally acceptable. | |
| ATAGI reiterates that a third (primary) dose of COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended for anyone with immunocompromising conditions, a minimum of two months after their second dose. | |
| The full advice can be found here. Atagi has also issued recommendations on the use of Spikevax (Moderna) as a Covid-19 booster vaccine, which can be read here. | |
| The health minister, Greg Hunt, welcomed the updated advice. In a statement, he said: | |
| Hunt described Australia as “a vaccination nation” with more than 40m Covid-19 vaccines having been administered to date. | |
| The government says people eligible for a booster vaccine can make an appointment by visiting www.australia.gov.au or through the Vaccine Clinic Finder at www.health.gov.au. | |
| You may be wondering why Australia would consider shortening the wait time for Covid-19 booster shots. | |
| It’s early days, but the data around the Omicron variant so far shows that two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine offers less defence against symptomatic infections from the Omicron variant, compared with Delta. | |
| But the great news is that experts say a booster jab raises the protection against the Omicron variant considerably. | |
| Read the Guardian’s latest story on the findings here: | |
| Peter Dutton, speaking to Sky News this morning, also encouraged everyone to get their Covid-19 booster shot. | |
| The defence minister, Peter Dutton, is encouraging people to get the booster shots as soon as they are eligible. | |
| Dutton also says he hopes people can “reunite with their families over Christmas without the fear of being locked down or having to do two weeks before they arrive or two weeks after they get back to their home state”. | |
| In an interview on Sky News this morning, Dutton was asked about the plan to bring forward booster shots by a month and the federal government’s desire to avoid a return to lockdowns. | |
| Dutton replied that it was important to recognise the mental health and domestic violence implications of lockdowns. He said: | |
| Western Australia is increasing border restrictions for travellers from Queensland due to a rise in Covid-19 cases over there. | Western Australia is increasing border restrictions for travellers from Queensland due to a rise in Covid-19 cases over there. |
| The news comes just days before WA was set to reopen its borders. | The news comes just days before WA was set to reopen its borders. |
| Our friends at AAP have the story: | Our friends at AAP have the story: |
| Victorian health minister Brett Sutton tweeted his support for bringing the Covid-19 booster shot wait time forward to five months. | Victorian health minister Brett Sutton tweeted his support for bringing the Covid-19 booster shot wait time forward to five months. |
| Good morning! It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here to bring you the headlines today, Sunday 12 December 2021.The Australian government is expected to announce that it will cut the wait time for Covid-19 booster shots from six months to five, in an effort to combat the fast-spreading Omicron variant.Health minister Greg Hunt told Nine newspapers: | Good morning! It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here to bring you the headlines today, Sunday 12 December 2021.The Australian government is expected to announce that it will cut the wait time for Covid-19 booster shots from six months to five, in an effort to combat the fast-spreading Omicron variant.Health minister Greg Hunt told Nine newspapers: |
| The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) has also approved the Moderna Covid-19 booster to be offered alongside Pfizer, the ABC has reported. | The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) has also approved the Moderna Covid-19 booster to be offered alongside Pfizer, the ABC has reported. |