Australians to receive new COVID vaccines targeting Omicron sub-variants – Sydney Morning Herald

Health Minister Mark Butler on Monday said the government had accepted and approved the use of the new monovalent vaccines, which have been targeted at sub-variants of the Omicron strain.

A person receives a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. AP

The new XBB.1.5 vaccines have modest improved protection against the COVID-19 strains currently circulating the community, according to a government statement, which said that all available vaccines still continued to provide strong protection against serious disease.

The latest monovalent Omicron vaccines have been approved as both primary and additional doses, with Pfizers version approved for eligible people over five years old, and Modernas for those over 12-years-old.

All currently available COVID-19 vaccines are anticipated to provide benefit to eligible people, however the monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccines are preferred over other vaccines, the ATAGI advice said.

Most Omicron subvariants currently circulating in Australia are sub-lineages of XBB.1, with BA.2.8 representing a small but growing proportion Available data suggests monovalent XBB vaccines provide modestly enhanced protection from severe disease compared to older vaccines.

It did not recommend extra doses of the new jab for people who already had their recommended 2023 dose of a COVID vaccine.

But it encouraged recommended groups those over 75, and younger people with medical comorbidities who had not been vaccinated this year to receive one as soon as possible, given there had been an increase in COVID cases across Australia this month.

There were about 160 people in hospital with COVID at the beginning of November the highest number since June, but fewer than the 430 who were hospitalised at the start of this year.

The latest data from November shows just 27 per cent of people aged 75 or over have received their booster in the last six months.

Only 20 per cent of 65- to 74-year-olds and 5.5 per cent of adults under 65 have had their top-up, although they are not in the priority age group.

Coalition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said she was concerned there had been no media campaign or public press conferences with the chief medical officer to improve awareness in the Australian community.

At a time when hospitals are dealing with historic ramping, bulk billing rates continue to plummet, and it is harder and more expensive to see a GP, the government must explain why they have failed to act quicker and protect particularly vulnerable Australians, she said.

The federal government said providers could order the new vaccine and doses should be delivered by December 11.

Butler said it demonstrated his government was committed to providing the latest and most effective vaccines.

While we are no longer in the emergency phase of this pandemic, COVID-19 is still present, and people should continue to follow the advice of the experts from ATAGI, including getting vaccines as required, Butler said.

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Australians to receive new COVID vaccines targeting Omicron sub-variants - Sydney Morning Herald