Selected population groups who are at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 will be eligible for an additional vaccination from April 2022.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine for winter for certain people who have already received their primary vaccination and first booster dose.
These groups include:
- Adults aged 65 years and older
- Residents of aged care or disability care facilities
- People aged 16 years and older with severe immunocompromise (as defined in the 11 February 2022 ATAGI statement on the use of a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and older
ATAGI recommends the rollout of the winter dose for these groups should start from 4 April 2022, coinciding with the rollout of the 2022 influenza vaccination program.
The additional winter COVID-19 vaccine dose can be given from four months or longer after receipt of a previous booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or from four months after a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection if this has occurred since the previous booster
