ATAGI decides to keep Covid booster vaccine advice at five months between doses

The nation’s immunisation authority has made its latest decision on Australia’s booster rollout and how long people should wait between doses.

The nation’s immunisation authority has decided to keep its booster shot advice at five months after the second dose as “very rapid transmission” occurs across the country.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) released its latest statement on Friday afternoon, less than a week after recommending that the length between the second and third doses be reduced down from six months to five.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said on Thursday ATAGI was investigating whether to reduce this further down to four.

ATAGI said in a statement it recognised the situation was “evolving rapidly” but it would keep its advice at five months.

Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly said he had a meeting with the vaccine advisory body on Thursday night to finalise the latest update.

“I had a meeting with them last night, quite late, just to finalise their latest statement on boosters,” he said.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the ATAGI would keep its current advice. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“We’re staying five months duration between the second dose and the third dose.

“It remains anyone who has had their second dose five or more months after that – they are now eligible for that booster dose.”

Professor Kelly said ATAGI was urging GPs and pharmacies to be flexible if a person was going on holidays or if services were to close over Christmas.

“If you’re a week or two before the five months, you know, that’s fine. But mostly the five months is the time they want to stress,” he said.

He said ATAGI was looking at all the information in relation to Omicron and would continue to use the evidence to guide any future changes.

Covid vaccine rollout boss Lieutenant General John Frewen said they were racing to fill any booster dose shortages there may be at pharmacies or GPs following ATAGI’s decision on Sunday.

“In those cases where people have run short because of this new demand, we are working to get the supply to them as quickly as we can,” he said.

“I will just say there’s no concern about the amount of supply and we’ll make sure that everyone who is eligible for a booster can get that opportunity as quick as possible.”

Professor Kelly said there was “very rapid transmission” occurring in Australia and the new variant of concern was “definitely spreading” and creating new complexities.

Covid-19 taskforce commander Lieutenant General John Frewen says there is no issue with supply. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“Omicron is definitely spreading - it gives us further issues to consider because there’s still a lot we don’t know about this virus,” he said.

“We do know a lot more than we did three weeks ago and every day we learn something new.

“Over in many countries, we are seeing a very rapid transmission of the virus and that is what we are seeing here.”

Professor Kelly said it was now known the first two doses of the vaccine were not as effective at stopping infection and mild illness.

“We know that the vaccine, that the first two doses of the vaccine, are not effective at stopping infection and mild illness as it was with previous variants of the virus,” he said.

But he said new information had been released showing being vaccinated did prevent serious disease.

“We also know, and this is new information, that the vaccine remains effective against severe disease, perhaps a little less than it is the case with Delta, for example, but it does remain effective,” he said.

“And I think that’s one of the reasons why we are seeing increases in cases but not so much of an increase in hospitalisations or other forms of severe disease, so that is important.”

Originally published as ATAGI decides to keep Covid booster vaccine advice at five months between doses