ATAGI advises third Covid booster shot be given 5 months after second dose

The waiting time between second and third Covid jabs has been cut from six to five months, in the hope the boosters will reduce transmission of the Omicron and Delta variants.

An extra 1.5 million Australians will be eligible for booster shots from Sunday, after the regulators cut the waiting time between second and third Covid jabs from six to five months.

As the world races to raise vaccination rates in the wake of the Omicron variant, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has changed the advice on the gap for booster shots for people over the age of 18.

People are advised to get their Covid booster vaccine five months after their second dose.

The difference means that at least 1.5 million people are immediately eligible for booster shots, and more than 2 million further people will be eligible by the end of the year.

The regulator has also added Moderna to Pfizer as the two vaccines recommended as booster shots, regardless of which one people received initially.

The advice was changed in the light of the likelihood of ongoing transmission of both Omicron and Delta variants.

Booster shots not only protect against waning effectiveness from the vaccine over time, they have also been shown to provide greater protection than the initial two shots combined.

Health and Aged Care Minister Greg Hunt said Australia was one of the first countries to roll out a whole-of-population booster program, with more than 670,000 people already having had their third dose.

Health Minister Greg Hunt. Picture: NCA NewsWire

He said there were 151 million Pfizer, Novavax and Moderna vaccines available for the program.

“Australia is well prepared to provide booster doses as approvals are provided by the medical experts,” he said.

“Australia is a vaccination nation, with more than 40 million COVID-19 vaccines having been administered to date. Over 93 per cent of eligible Australians aged 16 and older have received a first dose and over 89 per cent have now received a second dose.”

The Moderna booster dose will be half the size of the first two jabs.

Mr Hunt said there were more than 8500 GPs, community pharmacies, Aboriginal community controlled health organisations, and commonwealth and state clinics providing access to either or both of Moderna and Pfizer for boosters.

Clinics as well as state and territory vaccine hubs will be able to start giving the jabs immediately.

On Saturday night, Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton thanked ATAGI.

“There is an urgent need for third doses/boosters. Don’t delay if you’re due. I’ll now get mine before Christmas.”

Appointments can be made by visiting www.australia.gov.au or through the Vaccine Clinic Finder at www.health.gov.au.