COVID-19 jabs for babies and toddlers under $1b vaccine extension

Babies and young children could be inoculated against COVID-19 as part of a $1 billion extension to the national vaccine rollout contained in Tuesday’s federal budget, which reins in health costs after two years of pandemic spending.

The government has extended its vaccine injury indemnity scheme to cover children aged up to four years, along with priority cohorts approved for fourth doses before winter, in a signal to parents that COVID-19 vaccines may become available for infants.

No country has given the green light for COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged under five years however the extension of the medical insurance scheme suggests the government is considering lowering the age of eligibility once international trials have been completed.

“The global pandemic is not over,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in his budget speech on Tuesday night.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/covid-19-jabs-for-babies-and-toddlers-under-1b-vaccine-extension-20220324-p5a7mw.html