Australia’s Covid booster rollout ‘falling behind’, Australian Medical Association says

A significant decline in the number of weekly Covid vaccine doses has left one of the biggest medical bodies in Australia concerned.

The Australian Medical Association is concerned Australia’s Covid booster shot rollout is “falling behind”.

Today, AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said the medical body was “extremely concerned” about the lack of support for the country’s booster program.

Boosters have been recommended for people who had their last dose five months ago after 2021 data revealed waning efficacy in every jab approved for use Down Under after that long a period.

Dr Khorshid said the lack of support was seen particularly in General Practices and pharmacies.

“GPs and pharmacists are not being properly supported to implement this critical booster program,” he said.

“While we recognise that the state and territory vaccination hubs have taken nurses out of hospitals, aged care, and other health settings, it is critical that state and territory governments continue to run these clinics to ensure adequate access to vaccines for Australians needing their booster shot.

“By the end of this month close to four million people will be eligible for the booster, however, in the last week Australia has only been able to administer just over 210,000 booster doses.

“The latest strain of COVID-19, Omicron, poses a significant potential risk to the population and appears much more transmissible than previous strains, so we have to pick up the pace to protect the community.

“We need to urgently reach out to the public to encourage them to come forward for their booster, and GPs are best placed to do this for many in the population.”

Last week, GPs around the country administered roughly 251,000 vaccine doses, including booster shots, compared to mid-October rates when GPs were administering about 975,000 vaccines doses each week.

Over 400,000 Victorians are now reportedly overdue for their booster.

“COVID-19 has consistently been able to adapt and evade our best defences throughout the pandemic. Omicron is just another example of how the virus adapts, making three vaccine doses essential for maximum protection in adults,” Dr Khorshid continued.

“The Commonwealth has cut vaccination funding for GPs delivering boosters. This is making it very difficult for GPs to run clinics at the volume and scale required, including running extra vaccination clinics or extra sessions. GPs, for example, need to hire extra staff and make hundreds of telephone calls to encourage patients to get their boosters.

“Unless primary care is supported, the booster program will fall further behind, and millions of Australians will be put at greater risk of the significant complications associated with COVID-19. The return of stringent public health restrictions will once again be inevitable.

More than 151 million extra doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca have been ordered by the government, with more than 1.5 million people are due for a booster jab by Christmas Day.

“We need to be prepared for whatever COVID-19 throws at us, including making sure our vaccine infrastructure is capable of responding to threats like Omicron. It is too soon for us to dismantle this infrastructure.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last month pleaded with Australians to get a Covid booster shot as fears grew over the threat of another wave of the virus next winter. Every Australian home will receive a letter from Mr Morrison as the national booster program gets underway.

More than 151 million extra doses of Pfizer and AstraZeneca have been ordered by the government, with more than 1.5 million people due for a booster jab by Christmas Day.