Covid vaccine rollout: Who is eligible for fourth booster shot

From today, more Australians are eligible for a fourth Covid vaccine shot. See if you meet the criteria.

From today, an extra 1.5 million Australians are now eligible to recieve a fourth dose of a Covid vaccine. Picture: AFP

An extra 1.5 million Australians with a disability or underlying medical conditions are now eligible for a fourth dose of Covid vaccine.

From today, people aged 16-64 who have complex, chronic or severe conditions that are considered to increase the risk of severe illness from Covid-19 have been added to the list of people who are eligible for a ‘winter’ dose.

This includes people with a disability who have significant and complex health needs or multiple comorbidities.

People with cancer, cystic fibrosis, down syndrome and diabetes are just some of the health conditions now being included.

RACGP president Adjunct Professor Karen Price welcomed the expansion.

“From today, an extra 1.5 million Australians with underlying health conditions and people with a disability are eligible for a fourth #COVID19 dose. With winter fast approaching, it’s vital people step forward and receive this dose from their regular GP ASAP,” she tweeted.

Previously only people aged over 65, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 50 and people who are severely immunocompromised were eligible to receive the extra dose.

The nation’s vaccine advisory group has provided examples of health conditions that would meet the new criteria.

ATAGI said the above list was not exhaustive and for health providers to include people with similar conditions, based on clinical judgment.

Healthy people aged 16-64, who do not have a risk factor for severe Covid-19, are not recommended to receive a ‘winter’ booster at this time.

This includes healthy pregnant women who have had their three doses but do not have an additional risk factor for severe disease.

Those who now meet the updated criteria are recommended to get the second booster four months after their first.

ATAGI’s previous advice about receiving boosters after being infectious still stands – people should delay their ‘winter’ booster until three months after getting Covid.

As of May 28, 59,220,596 doses of the Covid vaccine had been administered nationally. There are 19,730,954 people who are fully vaccinated.

Originally published as Covid vaccine rollout: Who is eligible for fourth booster shot