ATAGI has backed an eight-week interval between COVID-19 vaccine doses for 5-11-year-olds, saying the longer gap could boost efficacy and minimise adverse events.

The expert group has also endorsed co-administration of Pfizer’s paediatric vaccine with any other childhood vaccine, as this is unlikely to affect vaccine effectiveness.

The rollout for younger children will start on 10 January now that ATAGI has issued detailed recommendations, Minister for Health Greg Hunt announced on Friday morning.

He said Australia already had a 95% vaccination rate for five-year-olds for scheduled vaccines and a 97% rate among Indigenous children, “one of the highest paediatric vaccination rates in the world”.