YOUNG teenagers with high health risks officially have the green light to access COVID-19 booster shots but there remains no jab word yet on Australia's youngest population.
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Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has in the past week clinically approved a first booster for children aged 12 to 15 who have a disability or complex health needs. This adds to approval of boosters for severely immunocompromised children aged five-plus.
The United States is this week moving closer to opening Pfizer vaccines to children aged under five years old. Victoria's health department reiterated this was not approved for Australia's youngest children.
Junior jabs for Victorians aged five to 12 came into play about the start of the new school year. Adolescents aged 12-15 have been able to access COVID-19 jabs in Victoria since the end of August.
ATAGI does not yet recommend boosters for the 12-15 cohort, unless they have complex health needs putting them at high risk of COVID-19, due to insufficient evidence of severe disease in otherwise healthy adolescents in this age group. But parents are urged to make sure their teenagers get a seasonal flu vaccine.
While there has been widespread concerns on the uptake of jabs in children and teenagers, Ballarat continues to hold a solid vaccination rate.
Up to 80 per cent of Ballarat children aged five to 11 years old have had at least one COVID-19 jab and about 50 per cent have rolled up their sleeve for a second dose.
Grampians Public Health Unit paediatrician Alicia Williams told The Courier earlier this year while children typical experienced mild or no symptoms with COVID-19, those unvaccinated were at serious risk of hospitalisation with the virus. Dr Williams also pointed to indirect benefits such as reducing transmission among loved ones.
Anyone aged 16-plus is encouraged to have a third COVID-19 dose for best protection and those aged 65-plus can get a winter booster four months after their third dose.
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