Millions of Australians are now able to access a COVID-19 booster shot one month earlier than expected, after a change to the national rollout in response to the Omicron variant.
The wait for a booster has been reduced from six months after the second vaccination to just fiveAround 670,000 Australians have already received a booster shot
The federal government has acted on advice from the vaccine advisory body ATAGI, and the wait for a booster has been reduced from six months after a second vaccination to five. The decision to provide earlier access has been made to help slow the spread of the new variant — which does not appear to cause more serious illness — and to guard against any waning immunity over time.Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly last week said there was no need to change the timing of the booster shot.
But much more has been learned about the Omicron variant since then, including its transmissibility, and the advice has now been changed.Watch
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