Expert weighs in on whether Victorians should bring forward their second AstraZeneca dose

The NSW chief health officer earlier this week recommended Sydneysiders bring forward their second AstraZeneca dose forward to six weeks after their first.

Victorians are now asking if they should do the same.

Head of the Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group at the Doherty Institute, Professor Terry Nolan, says the answer is no.

“For you in Melbourne at the moment: no, there’s no real need to,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“If you were faced with a major outbreak then the conditions and the time decisions around when you have your second dose might change.

“If there’s no circulating disease you find that letting … the vaccine and the immune response ‘cook’ for a little bit longer it is going to give you a better response.”

Meanwhile, overseas, third doses of the Pfizer jab are being administered.

Israel has begun rolling out third shots to at-risk adults, and in the United State, Pfizer is calling for FDA authorisation for a third COVID jab.

Professor Nolan says third doses will “probably” not be needed in Australia before the end of the year.

“But no one knows for sure yet,” he said.

“That whole booster question is still very up in the air.

“Even though the new variants are quite different the vaccines are holding up pretty well and show very good efficacy.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about vaccine dose timing, booster shots + the situation in Sydney