The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recently recommended that the interval at which people become eligible for a booster be reduced to five months, and that Moderna can be used as a booster.
In light of the recent cases of the Omicron variant, the ATAGI has advised:
- Individuals due before or during the December and New Year holiday period (i.e. 3 January 2022) can receive their booster dose earlier than five months to reinforce timely receipt for those who have risk factors for severe disease.
- a third (primary) dose of COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended for anyone who is severely immunocompromised, a minimum of two months after their second dose.
- boosters are particularly important for people who have risk factors for severe disease (particularly older age and those with underlying medical conditions) or people with increased exposure risk (e.g. occupational risks or outbreak areas).
- Both Comirnaty (Pfizer) or Spikevax (Moderna - 0.25mL) are recommended for use as a booster vaccine, and both are considered equally acceptable.
ATAGI recommends that providers encourage and enable those at greatest risk to receive timely COVID-19 boosters. Vaccination sites are encouraged to continue to support access to priority groups such as older people, residential aged care and disability care residents and workers, those with underlying medical conditions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, frontline health care workers, quarantine and border workers, and critical and high-risk workers.