2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

Asia Pacific> Asia News> Content
Published: 10:28, May 26, 2022 | Updated: 21:14, May 26, 2022
Millions more Australians eligible for 4th COVID-19 dose
By Agencies
Published:10:28, May 26, 2022 Updated:21:14, May 26, 2022 By Agencies

A health worker prepares a simulated vaccine at the Sydney Local Health District Vaccination Hub in Camperdown during a simulation of the COVID-19 vaccine process in Sydney, Australia, on Feb 19, 2021. (KATE GERAGHTY / POOL / AFP)

SEOUL / SINGAPORE / YANGON / CANBERRA / WELLINGTON - Millions more Australians are eligible for a fourth coronavirus vaccine dose after the country's peak immunization body expanded access.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Wednesday said Australians with health conditions including cancers, diabetes, chronic lung and liver disease or a disability would be eligible for a winter COVID-19 booster vaccine.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Wednesday said Australians with health conditions including cancers, diabetes, chronic lung and liver disease or a disability would be eligible for a winter COVID-19 booster vaccine

The move, which is expected to allow more than 1.5 million people to receive a fourth vaccine dose from May 30, comes ahead of an expected winter surge in COVID-19 infections.

Previously only people aged 65 and over, severely immunocompromised people, Indigenous Australians aged 50 and over and those in aged or disability care had been eligible for the fourth dose.

Katy Gallagher, who is serving as the acting health minister in the incoming government's interim ministry, said the expansion would "limit or protect those who might get a severe disease.

However, ATAGI has not recommended a fourth booster for the entire population.

"The idea behind expanding the criteria has been to ensure that people who are at the greatest risk of severe infection, the worst end of COVID-19, are protected," Gallagher told reporters.

"The reason why it has not been expanded more across the general population is based on evidence."

Australia on Thursday reported more than 46,000 new coronavirus cases and more than 70 deaths.

Myanmar

Myanmar confirmed 18 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 613,256, according to the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.

The ministry said health authorities tested 7,344 people for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and the daily positivity rate was 0.25 percent.

The death toll from COVID-19 remained unchanged at 19,434 with no new deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the ministry's figures showed.

The total number of patients who recovered from COVID-19 in the country increased to 592,229 on Wednesday, including eight new recoveries.

According to official data, more than 26.11 million people in the country had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday, and over 1.9 million people had received booster shots.

The health ministry also said over 59.45 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in the country as of Tuesday.

The Southeast Asian country detected its first COVID-19 cases in March 2020.

New Zealand

New Zealand recorded 7,591 new community cases of COVID-19 and 16 more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.

Among the new community infections, 2,520 were reported in the largest city Auckland, the ministry said.

In addition, 69 new cases of COVID-19 were detected at the New Zealand border.

Currently, 355 COVID-19 patients are being treated in New Zealand hospitals, including 12 in intensive care units or high dependency units.

New Zealand has reported 1,124,908 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020. 

An Antigen Rapid Testing Self-Test Kits vending machine is seen in Singapore, Sept 28, 2021. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

Singapore

Singapore reported 4,167 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total tally to 1,282,280.

Of the new cases, 438 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 3,729 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.

Among the PCR cases, 433 were local transmissions and five were imported cases. All of the 3,729 ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk were local transmissions.

A total of 323 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with five cases in intensive care units.

Two more patients have died from complications due to COVID-19 infection, bringing the death toll to 1,380, the ministry said.

This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on May 20, 2022 shows employees of the Central Ideals Zoo disinfecting the zoo to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Pyongyang. (STR / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's state media on Thursday said more than 105,500 new people showed fever symptoms as of 6 pm on Wednesday, but reported no new deaths amid the country's first confirmed coronavirus outbreak.

The Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea reported 18,816 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Wednesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 18,036,720, the health authorities said Thursday.

The daily caseload was down from 23,956 in the previous day, and lower than 28,124 tallied a week earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.


Share this story

CHINA DAILY
HONG KONG NEWS
OPEN
Please click in the upper right corner to open it in your browser !