Australia's coronavirus vaccine rollout took another twist last night, with Scott Morrison announcing any adult can now get the AstraZeneca jab, no matter their age.
But there are caveats.
Here is everything you need to know about the latest changes to eligibility of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia.
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What happened last night?
After an emergency National Cabinet meeting, Scott Morrison declared any adult under the age of 60 who wants to get the AstraZeneca jab can discuss it with their GP, who can then administer the vaccine to willing patients.
So you can book it with a GP?
Yes, that's right. A GP will discuss the jab with you and make sure you are a suitable and safe candidate. The government has set up a no-fault indemnity scheme for GPs to mitigate risks for GPs.
But isn't AstraZeneca for Aussies aged 60 and over?
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) had recently limited AstraZeneca to people over the age of 60 due to concerns over patients developing thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, a rare blood clotting condition.
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Hang on, I thought it was for 50 and over?
Well, it was to begin with. But that was before ATAGI raised it to 60.
But what about older Australians who still haven't had the jab?
Good question. Infectious diseases expert Professor Collignon is concerned older Australians could be leapfrogged by younger, less at risk, Aussies. "The real priority still is people over the age of 60," he told Today. "We need to do this logically, in a tiered manner, because for every decade of life you are older, your risk goes up 5 to 10 times of dying if you get COVID so it's much more important that 70-year-olds are in front of the queue."
Why the change?
Simple. Australia's rollout is moving way too slowly. Less than five per cent of the population are vaccinated and the highly transmissible Delta virus is circulating.
Are all the changes confusing people?
Strategic Health Policy Consultant and UNSW Adjunct Professor Bill Bowtell thinks so. "You can't say that this is a model of clear communication," he told Today. "And there's clearly some degree of split between the advisers and the government," he said, talking about the change to open up the jab to all adults.
Will this latest change work?
Time will tell if the rollout gets a jump start. What we do know is AstraZeneca has been at the centre of our rollout problems and will be phased out by the end of the year. Pfizer will become the dominant vaccine, and Australia will start importing the Moderna and Novavax vaccines too.
Were any other changes decided at the emergency National Cabinet meeting?
Yes, it has been made mandatory for all aged care workers to be vaccinated. They must have at least one dose by September. Post-quarantine COVID testing will also be introduced for returned travellers.
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