Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommendations on the use of Spikevax (Moderna) as a COVID-19 booster vaccine
Following recent approval from the TGA, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) have recommended the use of Spikevax (Moderna) as a COVID-19 booster vaccine for people aged 18 years and older (including pregnant women), who have completed their primary course of COVID-19 vaccine 5 or more months ago. The booster dose is half the recommended dose of the Spikevax vaccine used for the primary course.
ATAGI notes that Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are equally acceptable for use as booster vaccines in Australia in the eligible population.
To read ATAGI's full statement on the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as a booster follow the link below:
Updated ATAGI advice on the administration of seasonal influenza vaccines in 2021 (December 2021)
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has released updated advice for influenza vaccination in 2021.
Due to international borders reopening from November 2021, and greater population movement, seasonal influenza virus is expected to emerge and circulate in Australia outside of the usual influenza season.
Influenza vaccination is recommended for anyone aged 6 months and over who has not had an influenza vaccine this year. In particular, it is strongly recommended for those in higher risk groups.
To read the advice in full, please click on the link below:
Updated ATAGI advice on the administration of seasonal influenza vaccines in 2021 (December 2021)
ATAGI recommendations on Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine use in children aged 5 to 11 years
A new formulation of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) has been provisionally approved for use in children aged 5-11 years by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. This approval is based on the results of a recent clinical trial demonstrating that the vaccine is highly effective and that most side effects are mild and transient. ATAGI notes that real-world evidence on the safety of this vaccine in children aged 5-11 years is rapidly accumulating overseas, including data on the low rate of rare adverse events following immunisation, notably myocarditis, which the clinical trial was insufficiently powered to assess.
The recommended dose for this age group is 10µg (0.2mL), a third of the recommended 30µg dose for people aged ≥12 years.
ATAGI’s recommendations take into account:
- The direct benefits of vaccination for the child in preventing illness;
- The indirect benefits of vaccination for the child, their family and for the broader community. To realise some of these benefits, a large proportion of the 5-11 year age group would need to be vaccinated;
- Adequate supply of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be available to vaccinate all 5-11-year-old children.
To read the recommendations in full, please click on the link below:
ATAGI recommendations on Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine use in children aged 5 to 11 years
Safety, side effects, allergies and doses. The COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year olds explained
Australian children aged 5-11 will start to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from January 10 as recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). As part of the recommendation, children in this group will receive two 10 microgram doses (one-third of the over-12s dose), given eight weeks apart.
While this is an important step in helping to protect the community against COVID-19, safety of the vaccines will continue to be paramount and closely monitored.
This article highlights what the current trial data says about safety and efficacy, including what data we already know from real-world experience of the Pfizer vaccine in the US. Currently, more than 5 million US children aged 5-11 have received one dose and more than 2 million have had a second dose.
One safety concern of particular interest is myocarditis, a rare side effect seen after the second dose in young males aged 12-17. Reassuringly, to date, no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis have been reported in the clinical trials of 5-11-year olds.
To read the article in full, please click on the link below:
The Conversation: Safety, side effects, allergies and doses. The COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year olds explained
ATAGI statement on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and COVID-19 booster doses
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has released a statement regarding the emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, which has been named the Omicron variant.
ATAGI have advised that there is currently no evidence to suggest that earlier booster doses of current COVID-19 vaccines will augment protection against the Omicron variant. Further to this, it will continue to closely monitor the epidemiology and emerging data on the likely impact of vaccination on this variant and update recommendations in the near future.
To read the statement in full, please click on the link below:
ATAGI statement on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and COVID-19 booster doses
The Conversation: Is your child frightened of needles? Here’s how to prepare them for their COVID vaccine
Most children are fearful of needles and approximately one in five kids (19%) aged 4-6 years old experience needle phobia.
A child’s initial interaction with needles in their primary years may be formative for their relationship with immunisations throughout their lives. As such, it’s important to cultivate a safe and positive vaccination experience.
This article discusses techniques and strategies to help prepare children for vaccination, including accessing professional help from play and child life therapists for those with needle phobia.
To read the full article, please follow the link below:
Is your child frightened of needles? Here’s how to prepare them for their COVID vaccine
The Conversation: How can scientists update coronavirus vaccines for omicron? A microbiologist answers 5 questions about how Moderna and Pfizer could rapidly adjust mRNA vaccines
The new Omicron variant has raised the question of whether current COVID-19 vaccines will provide sufficient protection against infection. If the virus has changed significantly, antibodies created by the original vaccine will no longer be able to recognise and defend against the new mutated variant. Consequentially, vaccines will need to be modified by swapping out the genetic code of the original spike protein for the one found on the new variant.
This article explores the scientific process behind updating mRNA vaccines including timelines and authorization procedures.
Follow the link below to read the full article:
ABC News: What you need to consider if you’re planning to travel overseas with your unvaccinated kids
With international borders now open in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, experts are urging people to plan trips carefully, especially when accompanied by unvaccinated children.
Dr Daryl Cheng, Fellow at the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne shares his key recommendations for parents travelling overseas with unvaccinated kids, including weighing up the risks and benefits, and the importance of being well prepared and familiar with local health systems in their travel destinations.
Follow the link below to read the full article:
What you need to consider if you’re planning to travel overseas with your unvaccinated kids
NCIRS: Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2020 Now available
A new Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2020 has been released by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) which examines Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) data for children, adolescents and adults.
This is the first NCIRS annual report to present whole-of-life data from the AIR, with adolescent and adult data included for the first time.
To read the full report, please click on the link below:
NCIRS: Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2020 Now available
Clinical Vaccinology Update session recordings now available
Recordings of the sessions from our recent Clinical Vaccinology Update (CVU) are now available to access via our MVEC Education Portal Homepage.
To access the recordings, attendees can sign in to our Education Portal using their existing account details or simply create an account if are a new user.
If you did not attend the event but would like to access the recordings, you can purchase access via our Events Page.
If you have any questions about our CVU event please contact [email protected].