ATAGI is recommending vaccinating children with underlying conditions against COVID-19 immediately, but other children will have to wait, raising questions over the Federal Government’s national vaccination targets.  

As of Monday, the expert immunisation group said 12-to-15-year-olds with conditions like diabetes, Down syndrome or epilepsy should be vaccinated because of the risk of severe disease.  

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children in the age range and all children in remote communities have also been added to the current phase of the vaccine rollout.

The announcement covers about 220,000 children in total.