Expanded ATAGI recommendations on winter COVID-19 booster doses for people at increased risk of severe COVID-19

Western Australians with complex, chronic or severe medical conditions, and people with disability are amongst a new group of individuals eligible to receive a winter booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) have this week announced that the criteria for individuals to receive a winter booster has expanded to include more people at increased risk of severe COVID-19 from Monday 30 May 2022.

The winter booster is recommended to be given 4 months after the first booster dose, and this new recommendation now means that the following groups are eligible to receive a winter booster:

• Adults aged 65 years and older
• Residents 16 years and older of aged care or disability care facilities
• People aged 16 years and older with severe immunocompromise as defined in the ATAGI statement on use of a 3^rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 50 years and older.
• People aged 16-64 years who have a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness (see ATAGI advice for the full list of conditions).
• People aged 16-64 years with disability with significant or complex health needs or multiple comorbidities which increases the risk of poor outcome from COVID-19.

The additional winter booster dose will be provided to eligible people in State-run vaccination clinics without an appointment, and through participating primary care providers such as GP’s, Pharmacies and Aboriginal Medical Services.

ATAGI advice for all people who have tested positive for COVID-19 is to wait for 3 months after confirmed COVID-19 infection before receiving their next COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Learn more about vaccination after testing positive for COVID-19 via the Roll up for WA website

Under the new ATAGI advice, healthy people aged 16 to 64 years, who do not have a risk factor for severe COVID-19, are not recommended to receive an additional winter booster dose at this time.

Individuals are encouraged to consult with their general practitioner as to their personal circumstances, and can also review the ATAGI advice (external link).

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