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| Australia news live updates: Moderna confirmed as Covid vaccine booster as wait time cut to five months; NSW records 485 new cases and two deaths | Australia news live updates: Moderna confirmed as Covid vaccine booster as wait time cut to five months; NSW records 485 new cases and two deaths |
| (33 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news | Follow all the day’s news |
| At the beginning of her meeting with Blinken, Payne said it had been “a year of real highs”. | |
| Payne said: | |
| Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne and the US secretary of state Antony Blinken have agreed on “the importance of committing to ambitious climate action in the next decade”, according to the US. | |
| They have also called for “peaceful resolution” of issues across the Taiwan Strait after a meeting in the UK. | |
| Payne is in Liverpool in the UK this weekend to attend a G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting. | |
| She met with Blinken on the sidelines of the meeting. The US state department said the pair had met “to reinforce our ongoing efforts to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific”. | |
| The US readout said: | |
| (The Biden administration is yet to name an ambassador to Australia but there has been speculation that it may nominate Caroline Kennedy, the former ambassador to Japan who happens to be the daughter of John F Kennedy.) | |
| I’m going to hand the blog over to my brilliant colleague, Ben Doherty to bring you the news over lunch! | I’m going to hand the blog over to my brilliant colleague, Ben Doherty to bring you the news over lunch! |
| Now that Hunt’s press conference is finished, let’s turn back to the case numbers that have come out of New South Wales today. | Now that Hunt’s press conference is finished, let’s turn back to the case numbers that have come out of New South Wales today. |
| NSW Health announced that the Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle was visited by a confirmed case of Covid-19 likely to have the Omicron variant. | NSW Health announced that the Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle was visited by a confirmed case of Covid-19 likely to have the Omicron variant. |
| Anyone who attended the venue from 9pm on Wednesday 8 December until 3am the next morning must immediately get tested, isolate and await further advice from NSW Health. | Anyone who attended the venue from 9pm on Wednesday 8 December until 3am the next morning must immediately get tested, isolate and await further advice from NSW Health. |
| NSW Health said that confirmed cases of Covid-19, linked to a previously reported outbreak on a party boat cruise on Sydney Harbour on 3 December, attended The Argyle House. | NSW Health said that confirmed cases of Covid-19, linked to a previously reported outbreak on a party boat cruise on Sydney Harbour on 3 December, attended The Argyle House. |
| Hunt was asked whether the Coalition would be willing to deal with the crossbench should there be a hung parliament at the next election. | Hunt was asked whether the Coalition would be willing to deal with the crossbench should there be a hung parliament at the next election. |
| Hunt says that the much of the crossbench are “to the left of not just the Labor party, but to the left of the Greens”. | |
| So I’ll take that as a no. | So I’ll take that as a no. |
| Finally, Hunt was asked about the next federal election, and whether he thinks that Labor could win. | Finally, Hunt was asked about the next federal election, and whether he thinks that Labor could win. |
| South Korean president Moon Jae-in arrived in Canberra today. Hunt is asked what he and Morrison will discuss. | South Korean president Moon Jae-in arrived in Canberra today. Hunt is asked what he and Morrison will discuss. |
| Hunt says they will be discussing three things: | Hunt says they will be discussing three things: |
| Murphy says that there isn’t any good evidence to suggest that it is better to have a Pfizer booster if you had Pfizer for your first two shots. | Murphy says that there isn’t any good evidence to suggest that it is better to have a Pfizer booster if you had Pfizer for your first two shots. |
| Adding to that, Hunt says that Pfizer and Moderna are both considered “universal boosters”. | Adding to that, Hunt says that Pfizer and Moderna are both considered “universal boosters”. |
| Reporter: “Last week Atagi advised that there was no evidence to bring forward boosters. I’m wondering what’s changed since last week? Have you had access to data that you didn’t have last week? And on a related point - is this also about lapsing demand for boosters once we get to that heightened increase next year around March?” | Reporter: “Last week Atagi advised that there was no evidence to bring forward boosters. I’m wondering what’s changed since last week? Have you had access to data that you didn’t have last week? And on a related point - is this also about lapsing demand for boosters once we get to that heightened increase next year around March?” |
| Hunt: | Hunt: |
| The health department secretary Brendan Murphy says that over the last week, Atagi has had access to “what we call the laboratory in-vitro neutralisation data, which is a complicated way of saying tests in the lab to see how the immunity from the primary vaccination declines over time, particularly in relation to Omicron”. | The health department secretary Brendan Murphy says that over the last week, Atagi has had access to “what we call the laboratory in-vitro neutralisation data, which is a complicated way of saying tests in the lab to see how the immunity from the primary vaccination declines over time, particularly in relation to Omicron”. |
| Hunt is asked how many doses of Pfizer and Moderna we have in Australia at the moment. | Hunt is asked how many doses of Pfizer and Moderna we have in Australia at the moment. |
| He says Australia has so far received 7.2m Moderna doses and approximately 40m Pfizer doses. In addition, we have more than 28m AstraZeneca doses. | He says Australia has so far received 7.2m Moderna doses and approximately 40m Pfizer doses. In addition, we have more than 28m AstraZeneca doses. |
| Hunt adds that: | Hunt adds that: |
| Hunt is asked whether Australia is still planning on sending expiring mRNA doses to our neighbours in the Pacific and south-east Asia, and whether shortening the dosage interval will mean fewer doses can be sent? | Hunt is asked whether Australia is still planning on sending expiring mRNA doses to our neighbours in the Pacific and south-east Asia, and whether shortening the dosage interval will mean fewer doses can be sent? |
| Hunt suggests the announcement today makes no difference to that plan. | Hunt suggests the announcement today makes no difference to that plan. |
| As to the side-effects from booster shots, Brendan Murphy, the secretary of the health department, says: | As to the side-effects from booster shots, Brendan Murphy, the secretary of the health department, says: |
| Hunt is asked what measure are being taken to ensure people know they are eligible for the booster shots, and what the side effects are around the boosters? | Hunt is asked what measure are being taken to ensure people know they are eligible for the booster shots, and what the side effects are around the boosters? |
| Hunt says that the government will soon launch a booster campaign which will launch in the lead up to Christmas and following Christmas. | Hunt says that the government will soon launch a booster campaign which will launch in the lead up to Christmas and following Christmas. |
| He adds that: | He adds that: |