Live Breaking News: Moderna vaccine could be approved for under-18s within weeks

Aussies under the age of 18 could get the jab sooner than hoped, with a promising announcement expected within weeks, the head of the TGA has revealed.

Alexis Carey and Natalie Brown

less than 2 min read

August 10, 2021 - 9:50PM

The Moderna vaccine could be approved for under 18-year-olds by the time it lands on Australian shores, the head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced yesterday that the vaccine had been provisionally approved in Australia, with first doses in arms in the second half of September.

Speaking to ABC Melbourne's Drive program this afternoon, Professor John Skerritt said "Moderna has its application in front of us for under-18s".

"Over the next three to four weeks, I'd say maximum – it depends on Moderna's response – we expect to make a decision," he said.

"The Moderna data also looks pretty good for the under-18s, but we've obviously got to go to our committee of experts and then back to the company.

"Barring big problems, I'm expecting that by the time Moderna lands in Australia, it may also be approved for under-18s, but I shouldn't pre-empt that decision."

Read on for the latest Covid news and updates.

Updates

Signing off

That's where we'll leave the blog for tonight. Scroll through to have a look back at today's key updates.

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Alexis Carey

The Moderna vaccine could be approved for under 18-year-olds by the time it lands on Australian shores, the head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has said.

The Prime Minister announced yesterday that the vaccine had been provisionally approved in Australia, with first doses in arms in the second half of September.

Speaking to ABC Melbourne's Drive program this afternoon, Professor John Skerritt said "Moderna has its application in front of us for under-18s".

"Over the next three to four weeks, I'd say maximum – it depends on Moderna's response – we expect to make a decision," he said.

"The Moderna data also looks pretty good for the under-18s, but we've obviously got to go to our committee of experts and then back to the company.

"Barring big problems, I'm expecting that by the time Moderna lands in Australia, it may also be approved for under-18s, but I shouldn't pre-empt that decision."

George Christensen's questionable comments about Covid-19 have been the topic of the afternoon.

Also appearing on Afternoon Briefing, LNP MP Warren Entsch told Patricia Karvelas he "was absolutely appalled" at Mr Christensen's comments, calling them "totally inappropriate".

"That is the sort of nonsense that I see in protests outside my office from time to time for those with conspiracy theories, but I think it is reasonable to say that it was raised in the Parliament today, I think it was resoundingly rejected right across the whole political spectrum, when the motion was put up it was supported, there was not a single dissenter," Mr Entsch said.

"People are entitled to have a view but I think as an elected member you need to be a little more, if you like, careful [about the] views that you express.

"It is very, very unhelpful and totally inappropriate in dealing with the situation we are in at the moment and I am glad to see that there is that unity across the political spectrum today when those views were soundly rejected."

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The Executive Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute has weighed in on George Christensen's comments today, after the Liberal-National MP declared, among other things, that masks and lockdowns didn't work against Covid-19.

Appearing on the ABC's Afternoon Briefing, Professor Jason Kovacic said Mr Christensen's comments were "hard to fathom".

"We know that masks and lockdown are effective and we have saved thousands of lives in Australia already," he told host Patricia Karvelas.

"So why you would promulgate that sort of misinformation is tough to understand. I think we have done very well in Australia and I hope we continue to do so with masks and social distancing and all the measures put in place."

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Without directly naming George Christensen, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has addressed Covid-19 misinformation in Parliament.

"Australians have been carrying Australians through the crisis. And they have had the great support of their governments at unprecedented levels and working each and every day as a team of Australians to get this as right as we possibly can," the PM said toward the end of Question Time this afternoon.

"One of the key things we have done throughout this as we have been informed by the best possible medical advice, by the best advisers in the world, whether it be the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Chief Medical Officer, the expert medical panel. All of these organisations informing us.

"These groups have been meeting almost on a daily basis for 18 months, and my government and the governments led around this country has listened carefully and taken that advice, and acted accordingly, and Australia together has saved lives and livelihoods."

"That is what we have done, and that is why my government doesn't support misinformation in any shape or form. We do not, Mr Speaker, that is not the position of a government, my government will not support those statements where there is misinformation that is out and about in the community, whether it posted on Facebook, social media, written in articles or make statements. Anywhere else."

"What I am not going to do, Mr Speaker, is not engage in a partisan debate on this. I am not, because what I know is Australians aren't interested in the politics of COVID, they are not interested in the noise of COVID, they are not interested in the shouting of COVID. What they are interested and is that we make our Australian way through this crisis, and I tell you what – our Australian way through this crisis has stood tall and the world."

Byron locals blast anti-vaxxers

A group of Byron Bay locals have blasted the conspiracy theorists in their midst, as the threat of a Delta outbreak fails to quell misinformation and anti-vax sentiments in the area.

The Northern Rivers area has been plunged into a seven-day lockdown after a Sydney man, infected with Covid-19, travelled to the area, reportedly with his two teenage children.

Byron Shire Mayor Michael Lyon said the infected man had been "evasive" in telling emergency services about his movements, and NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said police are investigating the matter.

Byron is the capital of conspiracy theories in Australia. It has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country with only 69.4 per cent of children under the age of two fully immunised in 2020/21.

And now, a war of words has erupted on community social media groups after the Covid case prompted the lockdown.

– Mitchell Van Homrigh

The PM has been asked if NSW should lock down harder to control the Delta outbreak.

"I have always said very clearly, that in the suppression phase lockdowns have to work," he said.

"Vaccines certainly support it and Delta is like nothing else we've seen and is a complete game changer.

"But I want to stress something I said yesterday, to get to phase B when we go into 70 per cent of the country having been double-dosed vaccinated, the stronger we go into that phase, minimising the number of cases, you can't eliminate Covid.

"We all understand that and no-one is seeking to do that. That is not any government's policy in this country. But minimising those cases is going to ensure that we go into the next phase a lot stronger."

So far, headlines have been dominated by NSW's grim new milestone of 356 cases.

But within that figure, there could be an even worse number.

Of those cases, up to 254 were infectious in the community for at least part of their infectious period, including the 57 who were in the community for all of their infectious period, 40 who were in the community for part of their infectious period, and 157 which are still being investigated.

That's a much bleaker figure than the one shared by Ms Berejiklian this morning, with the Premier claiming "around a third had some exposure in the community during that time".

The higher the number of people out and about while infectious, the higher the spread could be, so it's just another blow for the long-suffering people of NSW who face an anxious wait in the days ahead.

SYDNEY COVID
Of 356 cases today .. up to 254 were infectious in the community
57 in community for all infectious period
40 in community for part infectious period
157 still being investigated
— Joe O'Brien (@JoeDoesNews) August 10, 2021

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The PM has stepped up to discuss the grim IPCC report, but first addressed the Delta outbreak that is devastating NSW.

"The news out of NSW today – hard news. Really difficult news. 356 cases. Four reported deaths. We are in a tough, tough fight with this Delta strain. A tough fight. And I want to thank everyone across NSW, right across the country, other places going through lockdowns as well," he said.

"But we know that the fight in NSW is the toughest of all those fights and there's a lot at stake.

"Now, I want Australia to get to Christmas, but I want everybody around that table at Christmas time and we will do everything we can to achieve that goal."

US Grand Prix starting grid

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed 356 new Covid cases were recorded overnight.

It marks the worst day yet, beating the previously high of 319 new cases on Saturday.

Yesterday, 283 new infections were confirmed, and one new death, bringing the death toll linked to the latest outbreak to 29.

NSW recorded 356 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/Ko6SrbuHMT
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 10, 2021