COMMUNITY pharmacies are set to receive stock of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty), to support a national booster campaign, Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, revealed this morning.
The announcement that pharmacies will be allocated supplies of the vaccine follow the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA's) approval of booster doses of Comirnaty for individuals aged 18 years and over, at least six months after they received their second COVID-19 vaccine jab.
"This is an important step, and it will mean that Australia will be one of the most highly vaccinated societies in the world, one of the most recently vaccinated communities in the world, and one of the first to receive a whole of population booster program," Hunt said.
"This is about additional protection - you remain fully vaccinated with two doses.
"The next step is that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will provide final advice... but subject to that ATAGI advice we intend to commence the general population booster program no later than 08 Nov.
"We have the supplies, we have the distribution mechanisms, we'll just work with the states, the GPs, the pharmacies, the Commonwealth vaccination clinics and the Indigenous vaccination clinics to ensure that everything is in place."
Hunt confirmed that the Government planned to start rolling out booster doses to the aged care and disability sectors as a priority.
While further advice on the use of boosters has yet to be issued by ATAGI, the TGA noted that the product information for Comirnaty "now includes a statement that a third dose may be given to severely immunocompromised people aged 12 years and over at least 28 days after the second dose".
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