The federal government on Tuesday night accepted updated advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) that comes into effect on February 20 and prefers Omicron-specific mRNA booster vaccines. However,it said all available COVID-19 vaccines would provide a benefit.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced at a press conference on Wednesday that 10 million doses of the newest Omicron-specific Pfizer bivalent vaccine (BA.4-5) were due to arrive this month.
It will be the largest one-month arrival of vaccines into Australia since late 2021.
The new shipments complement the 4 million Omicron-specific bivalent BA.1 vaccines that are already stocked in Australia.
“We’re getting the most up-to-date version of the vaccine for Australians,” Butler said.
“ATAGI has been quite clear in its advice that it prefers the Omicron-specific versions of the vaccine,whether that’s the Moderna or Pfizer BA.1 or the BA.4[-5] version[over the older vaccines],” he said.
He encouraged people to protect themselves against severe illness,even as less than half of the eligible Australian population had come forward for their fourth booster doses.