Fourth dose expansion on the table as new COVID-19 subvariants spread rapidly

Health officials are considering rolling out a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more Australians as new Omicron subvariants spread rapidly.

Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are now the dominant strains detected in wastewater in Melbourne and Geelong.

The strains were first identified in catchments in April.

Since then, the prevalence of the subvariants has risen from under 5 per cent in late May to about 40 per cent across all Victorian wastewater catchments by the end of June.

The Department of Health warns this is likely to result in an increase in COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths, due to the subvariants evading immunity provided by vaccination and infection with earlier strains of the virus.

A fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for more people will be considered by health officials tomorrow, amid surging infections. Currently the fourth dose is recommended for over-65s and those with co-morbidities.

Director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services, Professor Paul Griffin, says he’d like to see the fourth dose made available to anyone over 18 who wants it.

He says the current wave is “looking very significant”.

“While ICUs aren’t filling up at this time we are seeing a lot of people in hospital,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Elise Elliott, filling in for Ross and Russel.

Press PLAY below to hear why Professor Griffin wants to see more Australians getting a fourth COVID-19 jab