Vulnerable Australians will be encouraged to receive a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine amid increased fears winter could spark a massive infection surge.
A second booster shot will be made available to people over the age of 65 and those who are immunocompromised from April following advice from the nation’s top immunisation experts.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will also recommend Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over, as well as residents of aged and disability care facilities, will be eligible for an additional dose.
The fourth shot is to be administered four months after people received their booster dose.
Health Minister Greg Hunt flagged the change in Melbourne on Thursday.
More than 12.5 million boosters have been administered across Australia.
In February, ATAGI formally dumped the term fully vaccinated, ruling Australians aged 16 and over would require a third dose of the jab to be considered “up to date”.
Medical experts have indicated they would like to shift away from numbered vaccine doses and for a jab akin to the flu vaccine to be administered annually.
It comes as Australia experiences a surge in Covid cases, driven by the Omicron subvariant BA.2.
Meanwhile, two Melbourne-made Covid vaccines, which developers hope will be more powerful and protective than existing jabs, are set to begin human trials.
The new vaccine candidates – developed by the Doherty Institute and Monash University, focus solely on the tip of the virus’ spike protein, the receptor binding domain.
Over 110 Melburnians will be jabbed at the Royal Melbourne Hospital over the coming months as part of the firsxjmtzywt phase of trials.
