The national vaccine advisory group,ATAGI,is closely monitoring new data on the Omicron variant,but no immediate change is expected to the advice,which recommends a five-month interval between second and third doses.
“This is a rapidly changing space but at this stage boosters are still recommended five months after a second shot,” said Professor Allen Cheng,co-chair of the group’s COVID-19 response. “However,as more evidence comes in this advice could be updated.”
The number of boosters given each day across Australia has more than tripled from about 25,000 last week to almost 100,000 on Tuesday as health authorities urge uptake amid a rise in Omicron cases.
Bringing forward booster shots to four months would make half of NSW’s 16 and over population eligible for the shot within the next five weeks,as opposed to mid-February.
Meanwhile,NSW GP clinics and pharmacists are struggling to keep up with the increased demand caused when the group revised its booster recommendation from six months to five,in light of the new Omicron variant.
Federal Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said the number of booster doses administrated across Australia had jumped from 25,000 a day last week to 75,000 on Monday and 96,000 on Tuesday.
Royal Australian College of GPs NSW chair Charlotte Hespe said her Glebe medical practice was doing at least 120 booster appointments each day but limited staffing and constrained vaccine supply meant it could not ramp up further.