Scott Morrison says ATAGI investigating whether to reduce booster shot interval to four months

A further change to the booster shot rollout has been flagged by the Prime Minister, who says investigations are being carried out “every day”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the nation’s immunisation authority is reviewing the booster shot rollout “every week”, with the nation “ready to go” if the interval time is cut by another month.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Morrison was asked if the Omicron variant could put positive jobs figures revealed in the mid-year budget update on Thursday at risk.

The unemployment rate is forecast to fall to 4.5 per cent by next year, and new figures reveal it already fell to just 4.6 per cent last month.

The Prime Minister said the government would stick to the plan and follow the expert advice before flagging that further changes to fast-track the booster program were being investigated.

Mr Morrison said if the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) decided it was OK to reduce the wait time between the second and third dose to four months they were “ready to go”.

ATAGI on Sunday changed the time frame between the doses from six months to five “given the likelihood of ongoing transmission of both Omicron and Delta”.

“There’s over two million Australians who are now eligible for that booster shot which has been brought forward to five months,” Mr Morrison said.

Currently it is a five-month wait between doses. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

“We are every week reviewing that interval period with ATAGI for those booster shots and if they choose to take it forward to four months, well, we have a million vaccines right now in the distribution system, particularly in pharmacies, all around the country.

“The interval I wish to stress of the duration between when you have had your second dose and your booster is set on the basis of the advice of ATAGI.”

He said the situation in Australia was very different to the UK, where everyone will be eligible for a booster shot before the end of the year amid an anticipated tidal wave of Omicron.

“They are dealing with a situation where their second doses were a lot earlier in the year and they are also in a winter period as opposed to where we are here,” Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister said lockdown decisions should no longer be based on case numbers, but by how many people are in hospital or intensive care.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said ATAGI was investigating every day. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“So my simple message to Australians is to go about your lives, enjoy the summer, exercise the common sense precautions that you would. If you’re feeling uncertain, then it’s not compulsory to go out. It’s not compulsory not to wear a mask either.”

Australia on Thursday overtook Belgium to have the 10th highest full vaccination rate in the world, with 89 per cent of people over 16 double dosed.

Speaking with Sky News, vaccine rollout chief Lieutenant General John Frewen said Australians had responded “remarkably” to the call to get vaccinated.

“We’re going to hit 90 per cent fully vaccinated across the nation, so Australians have responded remarkably to this,” he said.

The emergence of the Omicron variant has launched fresh questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine rollout after a decision to bring forward booster shots to five months led to a rush of people attempting to get their third jab.

Originally published as Scott Morrison says ATAGI investigating whether to reduce booster shot interval to four months