Epidemiologists say the window to approve a new Omicron-targeting vaccine before a third wave hits is closing fast and Australia should approve a wider rollout of a fourth booster shot | TimnaJacks
Australia is on the cusp of a third Omicron wave, federal Health Minister Mark Butler says.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said a third wave of Omicron infections was on the way, after announcing a major review of COVID-19 vaccine purchases on Friday morning. Pfizer and Moderna have developed their shots to target the original version of the variant, BA.1, and will need to redesign their vaccines to target the later strains.delaying a recommendation that more people get a fourth COVID booster shot, until a better Omicron-targeting vaccine is available. Professor Allen Cheng, who is a voting member and the former chair of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, said the expert group was watching the United States closely.
“If for most people it’s been six months since the last dose and high levels of Omicron are circulating and the emergence of BA.4 and BA.5 is ticking up as well, I would say [the need for a fourth dose] should be a conversation we should seriously be having now.”Epidemiologist Nancy Baxter, head of Melbourne University’s School of Population and Global Health, said an Omicron-specific booster would be highly beneficial.
Baxter said it was likely we would be in an “Omicron phase” for a while, but pointed out that committing to a booster shot that targets specific COVID-19 variant strains posed challenges when the virus was continually mutating.
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