Highlights
- Children are hoping that vaccines will bring them back to their normal lives.
- Victoria is mandating vaccine booster shots for some key industry workers.
- The Northern Territory will allow fully vaccinated asymptomatic close contacts to return to essential work, provided they take a daily rapid antigen test, wear masks and stay isolated for seven days when not at work.
Children aged five to 11 are now eligible for a special lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine, which is one-third of the size administered to adults.There's a two-month interval between doses, meaning children who get vaccinated today can get their second jab in early March.
The federal COVID-19 Task Force Commander Lieutenant General John Frewen says vaccine supply is ample, and an additional two million doses will be available by January 21.
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Child vaccines launch in Australia
SBS Filipino
11/01/202209:20
"The commencement of the roll-out for five to 11-year-olds is an important day in the vaccine program. This is the last piece in the puzzle, if you like, in our comprehensive national vaccination plan. The - I do want to emphasise again that there is enough paediatric doses in the country to offer every five to 11-year-old a first dose before they commence school this year. The P-M [[prime minister]] has mentioned right now there is over 800,000 doses sitting in pharmacies and GPs [[general practitioners]] and other state and territory hubs around the country. There is another 400,000 doses being delivered as we speak, Lt. General Frewen added."
