International travel on agenda for final national cabinet in 2021
As well as getting an update on the omicron variant and booster vaccines, Australia’s state premiers and Prime Minister will discuss reopening international borders at tomorrow’s final national cabinet meeting of 2021.
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The fate of Australia’s international border reopening will be determined at the final national cabinet of the year, as the nation’s leaders receive an updated briefing on the Covid-19 omicron variant on Friday.
There will also be further talks around booster shots to deal with the newest iteration of the mutated virus, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison continues talks with medical advisers on whether the third jab needs to be brought forward.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will be going into the meeting just days before reoping Queensland’s borders after it reached 80 per cent fully vaccinated, with the state bracing its hospital system for an influx of cases.
Pfizer released a statement early on Thursday that laboratory studies showed a third dose of its vaccine could neutralise the omicron variant.
“Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the omicron strain, it’s clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation currently recommends a six months gap between the second dose and any booster shot, but Pfizer’s statement sparked debate on whether this should be brought forward.
Mr Morrison said he had been in touch with Health Minister Greg Hunt, Health Department secretary Dr Brendan Murphy and Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly to discuss timing of Covid vaccine booster shots.
“They will continue to keep that under close watch as to whether that can be brought forward with this new information,” he said.
“We would strongly support that, and we’re ready to go if that’s what they would like to do.”
Australia has contracts in place for 85 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 15 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 51 million doses of the Novavax vaccine to be used as booster shots.
As well as an update on the omicron variant and vaccines, the premiers and Prime Minister will discuss reopening international borders.
The two-week pause on the reopening to non-citizens put in place at the emergence of omicron is due to end on Wednesday, December 15.
A decision will need to be made shortly on whether to press ahead with allowing the return of skilled and student visa holders, as well as the quarantine-free travel bubbles with Japan and Korea, on December 15.
But Queensland is keeping its requirement of 14-days quarantine for international arrivals until it reaches 90 per cent fully vaccinated, expected to be reached in late January.
QLD Border reopening: Everything you need to know
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Originally published as International travel on agenda for final national cabinet in 2021
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