Australia must make a fifth COVID vaccine available sooner rather than later, say health experts, as evidence of a new wave mounts.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has declared the state is entering a new COVID wave, raising the state’s emergency alert status to amber and declaring: “It’s time to be alert – not alarmed.”
In the US, a fifth vaccine is available to all, but in Australia, a fifth dose is recommended only for adults who are severely immunocompromised.
That is likely to change in the new year, according to some reports, with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) facing mounting pressure to make that call.
Ahead of such action, though, many Australians still need their fourth dose. Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett says a greater focus on a fourth dose should precede any push for a fifth.
Read: Frightening new COVID strains land in Australia
“Half the people who are eligible for the fourth dose still haven’t had it,” she says. “I think that is actually more urgent.”
While COVID no longer dominates the news cycle as it once did, it remains a health concern. Federal government data shows that in the week to 1 November, just over 37,000 COVID cases were reported – a 17.3 per cent jump from the week before.
And with a new coronavirus wave, which features new Omicron subvariants, spreading across Europe and Singapore as the northern winter approaches, some fear a similar spike here.
Read: Almost one-fifth of Australia’s COVID vaccines binned
Not everyone holds that view, though. Australia’s chief health officer Paul Kelly says: “We’ve seen these same variants go to other countries, most recently Singapore. They had a quick, sharp wave of cases, but not a lot else and then they’ve moved on.”
Others, however, warn of waning immunity across the country. University of South Australia epidemiologist Professor Adrian Esterman points out that most Australians had their last dose months ago. “By and large, I would welcome a fifth dose. We are at the beginning of a new wave,” he says.
Prof. Esterman provides weekly COVID reports through his Twitter account, and his latest, issued last Friday, showed an increase in cases that concur with the figures above. His report also revealed that there were 1395 Australians in hospital, an increase of 47 on the previous week and 119 deaths (an increase of eight).
Read: COVID linked to onset of brain diseases
Despite reporting one bit of good news, a drop in the number of Australians in ICU (37, down from 48 the week before), Prof. Esterman concluded his findings with one clear and troubling statement: “The next wave is definitely here.”
With that in mind, combined with latest data that says 72 per cent of eligible Australians have had their third COVID dose and only 42 per cent have had their fourth, it is strongly recommended that all those eligible line up for their next vaccination.
Vaccinations remain free and are available through pharmacies, GPs and other medical centres. Bookings can be made through the federal government’s online portal service.
Have you had your third and fourth vaccinations? Are you keen to line up for a fifth? Why not share your experience and thoughts in the comments section below?
So the first 4 didn’t work – didn’t stop you catching it, didn’t stop you spreading it, didn’t stop a thing. The hospital figures show 4+ doses are the highest in admittance, ICU and deaths. So let’s have another, omg!!
Incorrect. The vaccines have reduced severe illness and hospitalisations.
NSW figures for last week, there were 310 in hospital and 0 were unvaccinated, 25 in ICU and 0 unvaccinated, 24 deaths with 1 unvaccinated. The vaccines helped how?
If after 3 years of a pandemic you still don’t understand what the vaccines actually do, perhaps it’s time to do some research?
You just need to look at how the cases and hospital admissions went down as Australia’s vaccination rate went up.
One of the issues now is not enough people have had their third or/and 4th vaccinations.
These ‘vaccines’ are experimental drugs which have not been tested.
I totally agree Kathryn.
Enough is enough! Now we have found out the previous vacinnes were not properly tested and neither will the next , I’ve had 3 and that’s it!
Absolutely, so have I. Enough of this nonsense …..