A fifth COVID booster vaccine will be made available to all Australians over 18 from Monday 20 February.

The federal government has accepted advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) that all adults who have not had a

COVID-19 booster or a confirmed case in the past six months can now get another booster to give them additional protection against severe illness from the disease.

The South Australian Health Department has yet to announce where and how Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island residents will be able to access the vaccines.

Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler says ATAGI has particularly recommended that everyone at risk of severe illness should have a 2023 booster dose.

“From February 20, all adults who haven't had a booster or an infection in the past six months can go out and get a booster shot, to give them additional protection against severe illness from COVID.”

“If you're 65 or over, or you're an adult at risk of severe COVID illness, and it’s been six months since your last booster or infection, it’s now time for a booster.”

“The Government has secured millions of doses of Omicron-specific boosters, with millions more arriving this month, in the largest one-month arrival since late 2021.”

“Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells and I will be writing to aged care providers to encourage them to bring local pharmacists and GPs into their facilities to administer the additional booster doses.”

ATAGI has advised that otherwise healthy children and teenagers do not need a booster at this time, given the low incidence of severe illness and high level of hybrid immunity amongst this cohort.

In keeping with ATAGI advice, an additional booster will not be provided for under 18s, except where children aged 5 to 17 have health conditions that would put them at risk of severe illness.

For this booster dose, all available COVID-19 vaccines are anticipated to provide a benefit. However, Omicron-specific mRNA booster vaccines are preferred over other vaccines.

As of the end of January fewer than 50 per cent of South Australians aged over five have received their fourth dose of the COVID vaccine.

As of 3 February there had been 65 people in SA hospitalised with COVID in the past week, with five in intensive care and 14 recorded deaths.

In this period ten new cases have been reported in the Alexandrina local government area; 24 in Victor Harbor; 136 in Onkaparinga; and fewer than 5 in both Yankalilla and Kangaroo Island.