Covid booster shots to be offered from next week, Greg Hunt says

Australia is poised to become the second country in the world to roll out ­booster shots across the whole population.

Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia could ­become the first country after Israel to start rolling out ­booster shots across the whole population — from as early as the end of next week.

The news comes as Pfizer announced results of the first trials of third-shot doses increased the protection by more than 95.6 per cent, compared to people who had received only two shots.

The massive ­increase in the level of protection offered makes it highly likely a third dose will become the standard for Pfizer vaccinations across the world.

Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia will be one of the first nation to offer booster shots to the whole population. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray

Mr Hunt described the ­Pfizer findings as “heartening”.

“If you’re double vaccina­ted, you’re fully vaccinated, and the protection against ­serious illness, hospitalisation and death is very strong, however a booster is exactly as the name implies — it’s additional ­protection,” he said.

“The purpose of the booster is it ­improves your immunity and it improves, as a result, national immunity and reduces nat­ional transmission.”

Mr Hunt said that Israel was the only country in the world to have commenced a whole-of-population program of booster shots.

A new ad campaign will remind people of the link between vaccination and a more normal life.

“We would be, after Israel, one of the first nations in the world to have a whole-of-­nation booster program, so this week the TGA is considering the final data from Pfizer,” he said.

Mr Hunt said he expected the TGA to move quickly on ­approval.

“By the end of the week hopefully we’ll be in a position to start,” he said. “We’ve got all the vaccines we need.”

The news comes as the government prepared to release a lighthearted ad designed to highlight the way life can ­return to normal once people are vaccinated.

The new campaign has a lighthearted tone, and is aimed at the 10 per cent of Australians who have not yet been vaccinated.

The TV commercial, to begin airing on Sunday, shows people in a ­series of situations — good and bad, including waiting at the airport for a delayed flight with young children — that have been denied to people for the past 18 months.

“These ads are based on research — the idea is returning to ordinary life with all its joys and its challenges, and the notion that we’re almost there,” Mr Hunt said, adding the ads were targeted at the “last 10 per cent” of Australia’s unvaccinated.

Originally published as Covid booster shots to be offered from next week, Greg Hunt says