An additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to eligible Australian adults from February 20th. Source : SHVETS Productions via Pexels.
An additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will become available to Australians aged 18+ later this month, as the federal government accepted the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
The new booster dose will be available from the 20th of February for adults who have not received a booster or experienced COVID-19 infection in the past six months.
The decision will allow Australians aged 18–29 to receive their fourth vaccine dose, and those over the age of 30 to receive their fifth.
Children and adolescents under the age of 18 will not be eligible for the booster, with the exception of those with medical conditions that place them at risk of severe illness.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced that the government has four million Omicron-specific booster doses presently available, with 10 million more expected to arrive later this month.
“From February 20, all adults who haven’t had a booster or an infection in the past six months can go out and get a booster shot, to give them additional protection against severe illness from COVID,” said Mr Butler.
“If you’re 65 or over, or you’re an adult at risk of severe COVID illness, and it’s been six months since your last booster or infection, it’s now time for a booster.
“The Government has secured millions of doses of Omicron-specific boosters, with millions more arriving this month, in the largest one-month arrival since late 2021,” he said.
Cases of COVID-19 in Australia peaked in December 2022 with an average of 16,000 cases per day, but that number has since dropped to roughly 2600 daily cases.
As of February 1, there were 198 recorded outbreaks in Australian aged care homes.
The health minister also expressed a desire to make the booster more accessible for Australians living in aged care.
“Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells and I will be writing to aged care providers to encourage them to bring local pharmacists and GPs into their facilities to administer the additional booster doses.”
