New push for millions of Aussies to receive a fifth Covid jab

Millions of Australians may be told to get a fifth Covid jab, despite Anthony Albanese’s government saying in November it will not be necessary.

Vaccine experts have called for a third booster to be delivered at the same times as the flu jab in April and May, before the virus is expected to be at it’s infection peak. 

Professor Robert Booy, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Sydney, said the effectiveness of the last booster shot the elderly and immunocompromised had six months ago is now ‘wearing off’.

‘I think it’s pretty straightforward, to be honest. We’ve got winter coming. We’ve got waning immunity against Omicron,’ he told the Daily Telegraph. 

‘We’ve got vulnerable people who haven’t had a booster for six months and a minimum once a year booster is appropriate at the moment that could be delivered in April May at the same time as flu jabs are being rolled out,’ he said.

‘It’s not exactly rocket science to have a commercial availability for those who want to pay. Just as long as that those who are vulnerable get it for free,’

Professor Booy’s call for the vaccine to be free for those over 65 people with multiple medical problems, disabilities and indigenous Australians has been backed by other academics, including University of Queensland’s vaccine expert Professor Paul Griffin.

However, in November Health Minister Mark Butler said The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) decided not to recommend fifth dose after ‘considering international evidence as well as the local data around.’

The ATAGI noted that severe disease and death during a recent wave of the virus in Singapore was very rare for people who had had at least two doses of a Covid shot.

Vaccine experts have called for a third booster to be delivered at the same times as the flu jab in April and May, before the virus is expected to be at it’s infection peak (a shopper is pictured during the 2021 Covid pandemic in Sydney)

Professor Robert Booy (pictured), an infectious diseases expert is urging a third booster to be offered from April. In November Health Minister Mark Butler said ATAGI decided not to recommend fifth dose

‘At this point in time, they have said they anticipate new booster recommendations being made in early 2023 in preparation for the southern hemisphere winter,’ Mr Butler said at the time.

There has been an average of 6500 Covid cases per day recorded in Australia during January.

This is a fall from the 15,000 infections reported in December.

ATAGI had initially recommended against getting a fifth Covid-19 vaccine shot last November.

But that advice was provided after evidence emerged from Singapore that a fifth shot had a ‘trivial effect’ on virus transmission in the country.

The evidence also showed that serious illness or death was rare amongst vaccinated people.