Government to spend next 6 months deciding whether to reduce booster interval to 4 months

The government has delayed its decision on whether to reduce the current interval for booster shots from 5 months to 4 months, saying it should have an answer by the middle of next year, or definitely at some point after the next COVID variant becomes dominant across the globe.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said that with things moving so fast, now was not the time to make quick decisions. “In the middle of a pandemic that is changing shape by the minute, it’s important that we don’t rush decisions,” Mr Hunt said.


“Just as we did with the vaccine approval process, just as we did with the vaccine purchase process, we want to do nothing for as long as possible before we make any decision”.

He said he had received a range of different emails and phone calls from experts offering advice on the decision, which he will look at urgently next July.