Tuesday 5 July 2022 01:36 AM Covid-19 Omicron Australia: Vaccine chiefs discuss a FOURTH jab to be rolled ... trends now
All Australians could soon be eligible for a fourth Covid vaccine but leading experts say another dose may not help stop infection from more transmissible subvariants.
Vaccine advisory body ATAGI will meet on Wednesday to discuss letting all Australians get a fourth jab which is currently only available to over 65s and younger people with health conditions.
It comes as Sydney GP Kerryn Phelps called for mask mandates and two-week isolation periods to return to stave off the winter Covid wave.
Existing vaccines don't work as well at stopping infection from the two subvariants of the Omicron strain - known as BA.4 and BA.5 - that are becoming dominant in Australia.
The strains - identified early this year in South Africa - are more transmissible than the original Omicron strain but have not caused more deaths or severe illness.
All Australians could soon be eligible for a fourth Covid vaccine and some states could bring back masks as the nation suffers a winter wave of the virus
Writing in The Conversation on Monday, University of South Australia Professor of Epidemiology Adrian Esterman said existing vaccines are 'unlikely' to protect against infection.
'Although current vaccines based on the Wuhan strain will still provide some protection against serious illness and death against BA.4/5, they are unlikely to provide much, if any, protection against infection or symptomatic disease,' he said.
Professor Esterman said Moderna's second-generation vaccine, which is currently in trials, would be much better against the latest subvariants.
Health Minister Mark Butler said just last month there was no evidence a fourth dose of existing vaccines would actually help.
'The benefits of the vaccine for younger people do not warrant the decision that they have a fourth dose made available to them,' he told reporters in Canberra on June 23.
'There's a general acceptance that there's no evidence right now that the fourth dose is particularly called for for younger people who don't have compromised immunity.'
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said he was in favour of fourth doses for health workers, telling reporters: 'For health workers I think there is a strong case - at least that's what I'm told from those who are on the wards in the hospitals.'
Pictured: A 3D mock-up of the BA.4 variant of the Omicron strain of Covid-19
Meanwhile, Queensland considered 'urging'