Image: Glam Adelaide
A fourth COVID-19 jab has been approved for millions of Australians, by the nation’s leading vaccine advisory group.
The additional booster dose has been recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) to increase vaccine protection for those at greatest risk of severe illness ahead of a forecast winter surge in infections.
The dose can be given as early as four months after the person has received their first booster dose or had COVID-19, and is expected to be rolled out from early April. Pfizer and Moderna remain the preferred vaccines for booster doses.
The vaccine is recommended for those at greatest risk and includes all Australians aged 65 and over, residents of aged care or disability care facilities, those aged 16 years and older who are severely immunocompromised and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and older.
ATAGI said for others who fall outside of the groups listed, there is “insufficient evidence of the benefits of an additional booster dose to make recommendations at this time”.
ATAGI will continue to monitor emerging evidence and may recommend an additional dose for these groups in the future,” it said.
“For any person aged 16 and older who has not received their first booster yet, ATAGI recommends they receive it as soon as possible.
“Protection against infection wanes after the first booster dose. However, protection against severe disease (rather than all infection) is relatively well maintained, especially in young healthy populations.”
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