Australia cuts wait time for booster shot, tightens border rules as Omicron cases rise

Australia on Sunday announced that it is shortening the waiting time for the COVID-19 booster shots as the new highly mutated Omicron spread across several countries of the world. Canberra has been offering the boosters to all adults over the age of 18, and with B.1.1.529 cases mounting, Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt announced at a conference that the government will cut short the interval between second dose and booster from six months to five months, Australian news outlets reported. Health Minister Greg Hunt cited the data from Israel backing the need for boosters that he said effectively lead to reductions in the severity of the COVID-19 infection. 

"A booster dose, five or more months after the second dose, will make sure that the protection from the primary course is even stronger and longer lasting and should help prevent spread of the virus," Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt told Australia’s leading Nine newspapers.

'Don't delay [booster] if you're due': Health Chief 

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, meanwhile, told the press that the Australian government changed the advisory based on the recommendations of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. "Thanks, ATAGI. There is an urgent need for third doses/boosters. Don't delay if you're due. I'll now get mine before Christmas," he tweeted, Saturday night. The decision was commended by the health official as his state recorded 13 coronavirus-related deaths. In New South Wales [NSW] 560 new infections have emerged, the highest recorded in two months as health authorities scramble to contain the spread and boost vaccinations. Of the total 560, three cases were of the Omicron variant in NSW, while South Australia registered six Omicron cases and Queensland and the Northern Territory one each. 

Western Australia states have announced that from Monday onwards they would tighten border restrictions, even as 80% of the population have been fully vaccinated. WA Premier Mark McGowan announced that vaccinated travellers from Queensland will now be asked to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in one of the sweeping measures the state has imposed. The region also stepped up the biosecurity protocols tightening checks on who enters until February 17, 2022, amid the Omicron threat.