Infectious diseases doctor weighs in on why booster dose rate is ‘really lagging’

The rollout of the third COVID-19 vaccine dose is “really lagging behind” and an infectious diseases doctor says “excessively reassuring” messaging is to blame.

While 94.3 per cent of Victorians have had two jabs, only 65 per cent have had a third dose.

Director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services, Associate Professor Paul Griffin, says “we kind of gave people the impression … that everything was over” after most Australians received two COVID-19 vaccines.

“We just want people to have a perception of risk that’s sufficient, that they take adequate steps to protect themselves and everyone else — and that’s getting that booster, getting tested and wearing your mask on a voluntary basis at higher risk times,” he told Ross and Russel.

A new federal government advertising blitz aimed at driving booster vaccination rates will be launched this week.

Associate Professor Griffin says there’s “still an opportunity for a lot more good information to come out to really guide people through this, and to make sure people have enough good information that they really understand why we’re doing this”.