Moderna Covid vaccine rollout for Australian kids under five to begin in September

Health Minister Mark Butler has announced children aged under five will soon be able to get their Covid-19 vaccines. See details.

Tens of thousands of immunocompromised children aged under five years will be able to get vaccinated from Covid-19 from next month.

Federal health minister Mark Butler on Wednesday revealed the government had accepted advice from Australia’s peak vaccine advisory body to open up the Covid-19 vaccine program to children aged 6 months to five years of age who were at-risk of developing severe illness.

Half a million doses of the child specific Moderna vaccine have been ordered, and will roll out from September 5.

A young child receives a Moderna Covid-19 vaccination. Picture: AFP

Mr Butler confirmed the first order of 250,000 doses would be arriving in Australia tonight, with another 250,000 arriving later in September.

There are about 70,000 young children in the age range at higher risk of developing severe illness from

COVID-19 will be able to receive a jab.

The government has flagged only a small proportion of vaccine sites will deliver this specific jab due to the particular needs of the children.

Children aged 6 months to five years will get two doses eight weeks apart, with severely immunocompromised kids to get three doses total.

At this stage, COVID-19 vaccination is only recommended for children aged 6

months to under 5 years who are severely immunocompromised, have a disability, and those who have complex and or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe illness from the virus.

“The Albanese Government has accepted the medical advice and made COVID-19

vaccination available to our most vulnerable young children who have significant

health conditions,” Mr Butler said.

“The Australian Government has secured supplies of this new vaccine for younger

children and these vaccines will shortly distributed to vaccination sites.”

Originally published as Moderna Covid vaccine rollout for Australian kids under five to begin in September