Hopes Novavax will have ‘significant’ impact on vax rate
The gap between the second and third Covid vaccine doses has been slashed, making a further 1.2 million people now eligible for a booster shot.
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Victoria has recorded 20,769 new Covid cases on Wednesday, a significant drop on last week’s figures of more than 40,000 daily cases.
There were also 18 deaths recorded in Victoria on Thursday, while 1173 people have been hospitalised with Covid, including 125 in ICU and 42 on ventilators.
It comes as the state shortened the interval between second and third doses of Covid vaccines, with booster jabs now available after three months.
The rule change has been brought forward after recommendations by the state’s public health authorities. It means 1.2 million additional Victorians will now be able to access their third dose.
Hours have been extended at vaccination centres, including Sandown, Bendigo and La Trobe University, to match an expected surge in demand.
An extra 60,000 walk-up appointments will be available at key state-run clinics.
A four-day vaccination blitz will be held at state-run hubs to boost jab rates and provide further opportunity for people to get their third dose.
Premier Daniel Andrews said it was likely Australia would soon move to a position where third doses were required, rather than optional.
“I think we’re very close to a change in policy,” he said.
HOPE NEW JAB WILL BOOST VAX RATES
Australia will soon offer four different Covid vaccines, with approval of the long-awaited Novavax jab expected within days.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is close to completing its assessment of the vaccine, after recently receiving the final data.
Health Minister Greg Hunt says a decision will be made imminently, adding he was seeking an assurance about supply from the company.
“I'm hopeful that that will be very promising,” Mr Hunt said. “There is 51 million doses of Novavax, if the regulator were to approve that.”
Only 5 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have not yet had a Covid jab.
But Mr Hunt said Novavax was expected to get at least 1 per cent – or 200,000 people – over the line, which was “significant”.
“That will have been significant,” he said.
Novavax has only applied for its Covid jab — which is a protein-based vaccine, not an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer and Moderna – to be used for primary vaccination courses.
This means it will have to submit another application to the TGA for its vaccine to be used for booster shots.
Mr Hunt said doses that will not be used by Australia will be shared with Pacific neighbours.
If the vaccine is approved, Australia’s expert immunisation panel will also have to give Novavax the green light before shots can go in arms.
“Mr Andrews also forecast changes to day procedures, like IVF, which would allow surgeries which didn’t require an overnight stay to occur.”
‘CODE BROWN’ FOR VIC HOSPITALS
Victoria’s struggling triple-zero service will be bolstered by federal public servants sent in to help by Scott Morrison.
The Prime Minister announced the extra call-takers would be provided in response to a request from Daniel Andrews, after weeks of issues with delays answering calls and slow turnout times for emergency services.
A dozen federal public servants are part of the effort.
Mr Morrison said the commonwealth was also sending 20 Defence Force drivers to hit the road with Victorian paramedics, along with extra ADF planners to support them.
It is understood they will arrive in Victoria on Thursday.
Victoria will declare an unprecedented “code brown” across all of Melbourne’s public hospitals and six regional health services as surging Covid-19 cases continue to take a toll on the health system.
Tens of thousands of workers from private hospitals will also be made available to cover dire staff shortages in public hospitals through an agreement with the federal government.
Victoria recorded 20,180 new cases on Tuesday, with 22 people dying overnight.
There are 1152 in hospital, with 127 people receiving intensive care and 42 fighting for life on a ventilator.
Deputy Premier James Merlino announced the massive change to the management of the health system would come into effect from noon on Wednesday. He said busy hospitals had asked for the declaration and that the sector was under “extreme pressure”.
“We’ve reached a point in our health system where it’s juggling severe workforce shortages … alongside a vast number of patients with Covid-19 needing hospitalisation,” he said.
“We could well get to over 2500 hospitalisations and more over the next few weeks.”
Mr Merlino said hospitalisations were at risk of rising by as much as 100 people a day.
The code brown was triggered because more than 4000 health services staff have Covid-19 or are in isolation and hospital admissions are expected to soon pass 1500 cases.
The regional health services affected are Barwon Health, Grampians Health, Bendigo Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Albury Wodonga Health and La Trobe Regional Hospital.
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