Australia's COVID-19 booster shots brought forward to five-month mark

An additional 1.5 million Australians are now eligible to receive their COVID-19 booster shots after they were approved to be administered at the five-month mark.

A booster dose was initially recommended to be given six months after a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, to ensure greater protection from the virus.

However, the rollout has been brought forward by a month to help stop the spread of the Omicron variant, with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) backing the decision of the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

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Australians aged 18 and over have the choice to receive either a Pfizer or a Moderna COVID-19 booster shot, irrespective of which vaccine they had previously.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is currently not registered as a booster but remains available to those who cannot have mRNA vaccines.

Federal Secretary of Health Professor Brendan Murphy said the ATAGI had examined the immunity of the vaccines and research found that after six months, protection against COVID-19 had declined.

"There's evidence that by six months there is some declining protection to Omicron and so the ATAGI felt that there was a good reason to get people 'boostered' if possible before that six-month mark," he said.

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Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australia was one of the first countries to roll out a nationwide booster program.

"On the latest advice, it's appropriate, reasonable and safe for somebody to get the booster from five months," he said today.

"By the end of the month, by the start of January, 4.1 million Australians will be eligible to have the booster."

Over 8500 GPs, pharmacies and clinics will be providing either or both Moderna and Pfizer boosters.

Mr Hunt said already 683,000 people across Australia have had their booster shots, which was "well ahead of expectations" and "well ahead of schedule".

The country's vaccination rate sits at 93.3 per cent for first doses and 89.2 per cent for second doses.