The NSW Health Minister says he wants a fourth COVID vaccine dose to be made available to the general population as a new wave threatens to push hospitalisations up again.
Brad Hazzard said he would like the rules changed "as quickly as possible" for people under 65 to be allowed a fourth dose.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is meeting today to discuss the merits of making a fourth COVID shot available to the general population as immunity wanes.
"I actually raised the issue at the health ministers' meeting last Thursday and Friday ... my view is we need to broaden it and we need to move quickly," he said.
"Let's get a fourth dose if we can do it."
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said a new wave of COVID infections was being driven by variants BA.4 and BA.5.
"We expect this wave to peak in late July, early August," Dr Chant said.
"We predict that hospitalisations will be similar to the BA.1 wave in January and there are lots of other viruses such as flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)."
Mr Hazzard has been critical of people still holding off on a third dose, adding that 56 per cent of COVID related deaths this year were in people who have had two or fewer doses.
"If you've had two or one, and you haven't had your full three, putting it bluntly – you're crazy," Mr Hazzard said.
"That is what is going to make a difference to stopping or reducing the chances of you ending up in hospital or ending up possibly dying."
Dr Chant said two doses were appropriate for the Delta variant but were no longer enough to protect against severe disease from Omicron variants.
"Disregard anything we said about two doses. It's three doses or more," she said.
"And as ATAGI continues to watch the evidence they might broaden the criteria ... for further vaccines."
Mr Hazzard said he did not want to see any new mandates or rules imposed to combat the next wave.
"We saw the results in some states, not so much in NSW but in other states, where people saw the requirements imposed on them were challenging," he said.
"I think most people are pretty sensible."
Fourteen people with COVID have died in NSW in the last 24 hours and 58 people with the virus are currently in intensive care units, 18 more people than a week ago.
In NSW, 1,782 people with COVID are in hospital, although that number includes people who were hospitalised for other reasons.
While more than 95 per cent of the state's eligible population has received two doses of a COVID vaccine, just 68 per cent are considered 'up to date' with their third dose.
A fourth dose is currently available for people who are immunocompromised or with a significant medical condition, people over 65 and those in aged care homes, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 50 years old.
Many epidemiologists say current scientific evidence shows while a fourth dose is helpful in some demographics to prevent severe disease, it doesn't do much to prevent disease in younger, healthy people.
