When we will find out about booster shot

Dr Kerry Chant told reporters in Tuesday that ATAGI was working through possible recommendations. “In terms of the booster recommendations, ATAGI is currently considering the recommendations,” she said.“You’ve probably seen a variety of recommendations internationally. And I understand they (ATAGI) will be releasing that (advice) very, very shortly.“As soon as that advice is released, we as a system – with GPs, pharmacies, and state clinics – will rapidly implement that (plan).“It’s great to see how quickly we can vaccinate our community once that guidance comes out.”Earlier in the month it was revealed half a million Australians would roll up their sleeves again, this time for a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.ATAGI gave the green light for booster shots for those whose immune systems “did not produce the optimal response to the first two doses.”The group said the recommendation of a third dose was to address the risk of “suboptimal or non-response” to the standard two-dose schedule for some people.Authorities say the third dose would maximise the level of immune response to “as close as possible to the general population”.Health Minister Greg Hunt earlier announced a group of 500,000 Australians would be able to get their third dose from Monday October 11.Those people will need to wait two to six months between the second and third doses, with mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) preferred over AstraZeneca.At the time Mr Hunt said there was no advice for non-immunocompromised Australians to get a third dose.“The next stage, the general population stage of the booster program, we are expecting advice from ATAGI before the end of October,” he said.“I’m not putting a time frame on the booster program, it’s a medical decision. We will follow medical guidance.”A third dose could be enough and yearly shots – similar to the flu shot, would not be required, chief medical officer Paul Kelly has previously said.“But we are only a year into this (global vaccination effort),” he said.“A third dose is likely to be the last dose we have to do.”