The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) have updated their recommendations on the use of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

What’s changed:
• Nuvaxovid (Novavax) can be used as a booster in an individual aged 18 years and above if no other COVID-19 vaccine is considered suitable for that individual.
• Use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose is now only recommended when there are medical contraindications to the mRNA vaccines. AstraZeneca is no longer recommended for use as the booster dose for people who received a primary vaccination course of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, although it can still be used for this purpose if these individuals decline receiving an mRNA vaccine as a booster dose.
• Either of the available mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) is preferred for this booster dose in those aged 18 years and above. For those aged 16 – 17 years, only Pfizer vaccine should be used. These brands can be used for the booster dose regardless of which vaccine brand was used for the primary course.
• Updated evidence of vaccine effectiveness of booster doses against the Omicron variant has been included.

The 2 March Primary Care Provider Bulletin is here

The updated ATAGI Guidelines are here