Health Minister Encourages Australians to Receive New XBB 1.5 Jab

A man receives a dose of Comirnaty Omicron XBB 1.5 Pfizer vaccine in a file image. (Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP via Getty Images)

Health Minister Mark Butler has taken to social media to tell Australians to “get vaccinated” amid the release of new COVID-19 XBB 1.5 vaccines.

The new COVID-19 jabs, targeting the Kraken subvariant of Omicron, reached pharmacy shelves in Australia on Dec. 11.

In a post to X on the same day, Mr. Butler suggested Australians should take the vaccine if they did not have the recommended dosages yet.

“The new COVID-19 XBB 1.5 vaccines are now available in pharmacies across Australia,” he posted on X.

“All available COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide strong protection against serious disease.

“If you haven’t had your recommended dose(s) in 2023 this is a good reminder to get vaccinated.”

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However, the minister received pushback from some Australians.

Liberal National Party Senator for Queensland Gerard Rennick said Minister Butler should be spending money on health staff, and maternity wards rather than promoting the vaccine.

The health minister’s post received 70,000 views and more than 900 comments at the time of writing.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia (TGA) approved the Pfizer and Moderna Omicron XBB 1.5 vaccines in October.

In response, the Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) advised in November the XBB 1.5 vaccines were the preferred vaccine option.

The advice on the use of the new COVID-19 XBB 1.5 vaccine was accepted by the health minister on Nov. 20.

“These new vaccines will help protect Australians against current strains of COVID-19 and demonstrate the government’s ongoing commitment to provide access to the latest and most effective vaccines,” Mr. Butler said at the time.

“Vaccination reduces the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, particularly for older adults and those who are immunocompromised.

“While we are no longer in the emergency phase of this pandemic, COVID-19 is still present, and people should continue to follow the advice of the experts from ATAGI, including getting vaccines as required.”

Meanwhile, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President Trent Twomey said the new COVID-19 vaccine would be “more targeted” at the virus currently circulating in the population.

“Health authorities have recommended that vaccines move away from formulations which target the original or ancestral strain,” he said.

However, he said those who are not due for vaccination should not get an extra booster for at least six months.

“The advice remains that you must wait six months from your last jab to get your next booster shot and older vaccinations still provide protection against the severest of symptoms,” he said.