Booster shots are given four months after the second dose and again for three months until the end of January
- From January 4, the gap from dose to booster was reduced to four months
- The gap will be further reduced to three months on January 31
COVID-19 The booster shot interval will be brought forward by five to four months from January 4, as is the case in cases of omicron Variants continue to explode across the country as states roll back restrictions.
Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the move on Friday, based on advice from ATAGI, at a news conference with Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly.
The interval for a booster will be reduced to three months from 31 January, Mr Hunt announced.
“Based on the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, it is no surprise that we will be extending eligibility for booster doses by four months from 4 January,” Hunt said.
‘It means the group has expanded. This will be extended again for three months on 31 January, taking it up to the 16 million Australians who would be eligible at that time.
‘As we have always said, eligibility is the beginning of access, it does not mean that the day a person becomes eligible, it becomes overdue.’
Professor Kelly said getting one of the first two doses of a COVID vaccine was still the most important priority for the vaccination program.
“We have seen an increase in intensive care patients in New South Wales in recent days, almost all of them not vaccinated,” Prof Kelly said.
He said the reason for bringing forward the booster dose is to protect those at risk of serious illness.