ATAGI nixes Pfizer booster for 12- to 15-year-olds
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Friday provisionally approved Pfizer Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine, COMIRNATY, for use as a booster in individuals aged 12 to 15 years old — but in a surprising break from precedent, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has failed to follow suit.
The TGA had stated that a booster dose of COMIRNATY may be administered intramuscularly at least six months after the completion of a COVID-19 vaccine primary series (two doses) in individuals aged 12 years and over, which could include any of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in this age group. Regulatory approval for this age group has already been granted in Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States.
But while all the TGA’s decisions on COVID-19 vaccines have so far been passed on by ATAGI within days, the Group issued a statement mere hours after the TGA approval indicating that it does not at this time recommend that adolescents need to receive a booster dose of vaccine. This is because current data suggests that COVID-related serious illness is very rare in those aged 12–15, particularly after completion of a primary series of COVID-19 vaccination, ATAGI said.
ATAGI noted that it continues to strongly recommend vaccination of all young people aged 5–15 with two primary doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, including those who may have previously had COVID-19; three primary doses are recommended for those in this age group who are severely immunocompromised. ATAGI will also continue to review and consider new evidence on the benefits and risks of any additional doses in 12- to 15-year-olds, including for those with underlying medical conditions.
COMIRNATY remains recommended as a booster dose for Australians aged 16 years and over, at least three months after their primary course of two doses.
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