Australia adds Moderna as vaccine booster, cuts wait time for 3rd Shot

The approval came from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, the health department said Sunday in a statement.

Australia added the Moderna Inc. Covid-19 vaccine to Pfizer Inc.’s as a recommended booster shot and reduced the waiting time, responding to concerns about the increased spread caused by the omicron variant.

Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, saw the pace of new cases decline for the first time in six days. (AP)

Australia is cutting the standard waiting time for a booster shot to five months from six, following the first two doses. The approval came from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, the health department said Sunday in a statement.

“ATAGI has also updated its advice and recommends booster doses be provided from five months after completion of the primary course, given the likelihood of ongoing transmission of both omicron and delta variants,” the department said.

Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, saw the pace of new cases decline for the first time in six days. The state said Sunday there were 485 new infections, versus 560 reported Saturday. Victoria state said it recorded 1,069 additional cases, down from 1,193.

The health department said more than 670,000 Australians had already received more than two doses of vaccine. The move to reduce waiting times means some 1.5 million people will be eligible for a booster starting Sunday, the Herald Sun newspaper said.