TGA paves way for under-fives vaccine
The TGA has given approval for Pfizer to submit an application for extending the use of its COVID-19 vaccine to children under five years of age.
virus diseases
Push for students to keep vaccinating
Victorian pharmacy students and interns have been an asset through the pandemic and there are calls to allow them to keep bolstering the vaccination workforce.
Booster gives 65pc protection from death
An Australian study of COVID-19 vaccines has found people who have had a booster shot are far less likely to die or be hospitalised with the Omicron variant.
Warning as vaccine, mask rules ease
Australia's top doctors are urging the sick to stay home, even if they test negative, to prevent more than just the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
Flu and COVID ‘double whammy’ on hospitals
Rising cases of COVID-19 and the flu are putting strain on the nation's hospitals as winter sets in, Australia's chief medical officer says.
Qld to dump most virus vaccine mandates
Queensland will scrap COVID-19 vaccine mandates for workers in schools, prisons and airports and for visitors to aged and disability care facilities.
COVID-19 reinfection drives booster calls
New COVID-19 variants have led to rising case numbers and hospitalisations from the virus, prompting fresh warnings from experts.
Asia, Middle East, Europe virus cases rise
The World Health Organisation says the number of global coronavirus-linked deaths has dropped by 16 per cent in the past week.
Have COVID plan before positive test: CMO
Australia's chief medical officer has urged Australians at risk of severe disease from COVID-19 to have a treatment plan in case they test positive.
New campaign to target booster uptake
The federal government will roll out a fresh $11 million advertising blitz in an effort to increase Australia's COVID-19 booster rate.
Australia joins pandemic preparedness fund
The Albanese government will provide money for a new global fund designed to help prevent future pandemics.
Opposition calls for flight mask scrapping
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Australia should end the requirement for all passengers on inbound international flights to wear a mask.
Minister urges aged care booster rate rise
Health Minister Mark Butler says he wants to see the fourth dose rate for COVID vaccines in aged care facilities increase.
Omicron wave cases double reported: study
Blood samples indicate almost one in five Australian adults recently had COVID-19 after the peak of the Omicron wave.
Virus toll climbs by 106 over weekend
More than 100 COVID-19 deaths have been reported across Australia over the past two days, along with more than 47,000 new infections.
Virus fight continues as funding extended
The prime minister and state and territory leaders have agreed on an extension of funding as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the health system.
‘No argument’ to keep some vax mandates
Australian epidemiologists have told an inquiry it is unclear why Victoria's double-dose COVID-19 vaccine mandates remain in some settings.
Predicted 15,000 COVID deaths ‘too high’
An infectious diseases expert says more can be done to curb the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths across Australia.
Fewer COVID-19 deaths under female leaders
Countries with female leaders recorded 40 per cent fewer COVID-19 deaths compared to those run by men, new research from the University of Queensland says.
More men sought mental help during COVID
Research has shed light on GPs' crucial role in providing mental health support, as COVID-19 restrictions coincided with many men seeking help.
WHO to assess monkeypox emergency status
The World Health Organisation says there is a need for international co-ordination as an emergency committee prepares to assess the seriousness of monkeypox.
Novavax vaccine approved as COVID booster
The Novavax vaccine has been given the Australian regulator's tick of approval as a COVID-19 booster for people aged 18 and over, the company has announced.
Pandemic exposes need for health reform
As doctors and medical experts are honoured for their efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the peak body says health reform is essential.
COVID-19 infection rates flat
Some states are still reporting daily cases in the thousands but the reproductive rate of COVID-19 has stabilised across the country.
Virus deaths mount amid hospitals crisis
Australian medical students are calling on governments to urgently address pressures on the health sector, brought on in part by COVID-19.
US scraps arrival virus tests, UK cases up
The US will lift its requirement that air travellers to the country take a COVID-19 test before boarding their flights while infections have risen in the UK.
Aust at halfway mark for fourth COVID shot
About 52 per cent of Australians aged 65 and over have received their fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose.
COVID-19 lab leak theory needs study: WHO
The World Health Organisation says its latest investigation into the origins of COVID-19 is inconclusive.
COVID-19 boosters for some Aussie children
Severely immunocompromised and disabled Australian children will be eligible for a third COVID-19 vaccine dose from next week after new advice was adopted.
COVID-19 cases drop very encouraging: WHO
The World Health Organisation says coronavirus-linked deaths have risen 7 per cent in the western Pacific and dropped everywhere else in the world last week.
WHO says 1000 monkeypox cases reported
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the monkeypox outbreak is showing signs of community transmission in some countries.