Australia is considering giving a fourth Covid vaccine dose to certain people.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said ‘older Australians and perhaps those working with vulnerable patients’ are being considered for a fourth dose.
‘That’s still under active medical consideration, but the supplies and logistics are in place to deliver that if it’s required,’ he said.
Israel has already given fourth doses to 500,000 people but has still struggled with a high number of Omicron cases.
Four million more Australians can now get their booster shots as the gap between second and third doses is cut to three months. Pictured: Eloa De Souza receives a Covid vaccine at Sydney Road Family Medical Practice in Balgowlah on January 10
Four million more Australians can now get their Covid-19 booster shots as the gap between second and third doses is cut to three months from today.
Some 16million Aussies have been made eligible for a booster with 7.6million of those having already taken up the offer.
The Government shortened the gap between second and third doses to combat the more infectious but less severe Omicron strain which emerged in November in South Africa.
The gap was first cut from six to five months, then to four months in early January and now to three months.
A total of 93.3 per cent of Aussies are vaccinated with at least two doses.
It comes as Mr Hunt insisted the number of patients in hospital was ‘well within the capacity in the system’ despite a large Covid-19 outbreak in the eastern states.
He noted that national ICU numbers had dropped by 50 in 10 days from 417 on January 20 to 367 on January 30.
‘The challenge here in Australia has been work force but the results are significantly below even the best case projections that we saw back in early December and mid-December,’ he said in a press conference.
Health Minister Greg Hunt insisted the number of patients in hospital was ‘well within the capacity in the system’
On Monday Victoria recorded a drop in Covid-19 cases with 10,053 new infections reported overnight while cases have remained steady in NSW.
The new cases announced in Victoria on Monday marks a dip on the 10,589 reported on Sunday. Deaths have also fallen to eight – down from 20.
NSW recorded 13,026 new Covid-19 cases – marking the fourth day in a row the state has recorded cases around the 13,000 mark. The daily death rate has also remained steady at 27.
Hospitalisations have risen in NSW to 2,779 – up from 2,663 – and dropped in Victoria to 873 – down from 889.
NSW ICU rates remain unchanged at 185 while Victoria has experienced a dip to 102 – down from 111.
NSW has recorded 13,026 new Covid-19 cases and 27 deaths while Victoria has recorded 10,053 infections and eight deaths
A leading expert says there may be a spike in Covid-19 cases as schools begin to return in some states this week, but the best thing remained that children return to the classroom.
Chair for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Jane Halton says COVID-safe measures taken by schools – including hygiene practices and rapid antigen testing – would make a difference in reducing transmission.
‘That should give parents confidence, particularly using rapid antigen tests,’ Prof Halton told the Nine Network.
‘We’ll have a strategy that means for the next four weeks we will be able to surveil this and be able to tell exactly how many cases have come from schools reopening.’
More than 320,000 children will be starting school for the first time, and about 240,000 students will be starting year 12.
A leading expert says there may be a spike in Covid-19 cases as schools begin to return in some states this week, but the best thing remained that children return to the classroom
