Australia to shorten booster intervals as Omicron pushes cases to records

By Samantha Allen

Published: December 24, 2021 | 9:23 AM GMT

Australia to shorten booster intervals as Omicron pushes cases to records

SYDNEY, 24th December, 2021 – Australia would further shorten the wait time for people to receive their COVID-19 booster shots, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Friday, as the country grapples with record infections fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Booster shots will be offered from 4th January to everyone over 18 who had their second shot four months earlier and the interval will be again reduced to three months by the end of January.

“These dates have been set out of an abundance of caution to give Australians early continued protection,” Hunt said during a media conference in Canberra, said Reuters.

Australia has been looking to ramp up the rollout of boosters after becoming one of the world’s most-vaccinated countries against COVID-19, with more than 90 percent of people over the age of 16 having received two doses.

A growing number of countries are reducing the wait time for boosters from six months after the emergence of the Omicron variant.

This month, South Korea, Britain and Thailand cut that interval to three months, Reuters reported.

About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.