100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Professor tells Senate estimates committee how many jabs will be needed to be 'up to date'

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Retrospective approval sought for depot beside motorway

An application to convert a rural block into a transport depot is now open for public notification, with the retrospective plans lodged in response More

Industrial site sells for $3.4m in off-market deal

A freestanding industrial facility has fetched $3.4 million in an off-market transaction, highlighting the ongoing strength of the Sunshine Coast market. The sale of the More

$250k makeover for supported living home

Five housemates have moved back into their supported independent living house after a five-month, $250,000 renovation to refresh and modernise their ‘family’ home. Buderim housemates More

Deadly snake found far from home sparks investigation

A highly venomous snake has been found far from its usual range, sparking a rare job for snake handlers and an investigation by authorities. A More

Long-term holiday park tenants could be phased out

Sunshine Coast Council may gradually phase out long-term residents at a local holiday park by adopting a “natural attrition” approach to tenancy agreements. Currently long-term More

Duo charged over alleged armed carjacking

Two people have been charged after investigations into an alleged armed robbery and assault incident on Sunday. After intensive investigations by the Petrie Criminal Investigation More

Australia’s immunisation regulator cannot rule out four, or even five, doses of COVID-19 vaccine being required to be considered “up to date”.

Appearing before a Senate estimates committee on Wednesday, Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation chair, Nigel Crawford, said his organisation would continue to monitor data from countries administering four doses.

Health Minister Greg Hunt announced last week three doses were now required to be considered up to date, while Professor Crawford told the hearing some immunocompromised patients were already recommended four vaccine doses.

Asked by Liberal senator Alex Antic if he could assure Australians they would not be required to get four or even five doses to be considered up to date, Professor Crawford could offer no such guarantee.

“Countries like Israel have already recommended a fourth dose and we need to look at that international data and see the impact, and what the new variant vaccines look like,” he said.

“ATAGI is constantly reviewing the evidence … that advice may change over time. It is a possibility but there’s no current recommendation to that effect.”

Elsewhere at Senate estimates, Australia’s vaccine rollout head Lieutenant-General John Frewen said the Indigenous vaccination gap had reduced by some 12 per cent, with 77.4 per cent of Indigenous Australians double-vaccinated.

Almost 60 per cent of eligible Australians have had three doses, and 48.1 per cent of children aged between five and 11 years old have had their first dose.

Some 64 COVID-related deaths were recorded on Wednesday with 27 from NSW, 18 in Victoria, 12 in Queensland, four in South Australia and three in the Northern Territory.

There were 29,229 COVID cases across the country.

Three federal MPs tested positive for COVID on Wednesday – junior ministers Kevin Hogan and Scott Buchholz and Labor MP Anika Wells.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share