Key Points
- Vulnerable children under five can receive their COVID-19 vaccine from today
- Experts warn consequences of reducing isolation and mask mandates
- Victoria’s chief health officer warns against a further reduction in the isolation period
On Monday, Australia reported at least 11 COVID-19 deaths, including four in Victoria and two each in New South Wales and Queensland.
A federal parliamentary committee will examine the health, economic and educational impacts of long COVID.
Deputy chair of the committee and Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh said the committee wants to hear from people who are living with long COVID or have been reinfected with coronavirus.
Residents and organisations can share their experiences with the committee by 18 November.
Check the latest COVID-19 trends for new cases, hospitalisations and deaths in Australia here.
Australia's leading health experts Nancy Baxter and C Raina MacIntyre have criticised politicians for reducing the COVID-19 isolation period from seven to five days and scrapping face mask rules on domestic flights from 9 September.
They there will be an increase of infections in workplaces and schools due to the shortened isolation.
"When our next wave comes, this will result in even more people being furloughed because they are sick with COVID or caring for others, defeating the ultimate purpose of the change," they said.
Victoria’s chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton warned that a further reduction in the isolation period could lead to "a substantial and sustained increase in cases, hospitalisations, and deaths in Victoria from current and future waves,” The AGE reported.
Australian children under five with pre-existing health issues can receive Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine from today.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation said it was reviewing Moderna's bivalent COVID-19 vaccine that targets both the original virus and Omicron's subvariants.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the vaccine on 29 August. The vaccine has also received approval in the UK and the US.
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