State and federal authorities are worried the number of Australians getting their third dose of COVID-19 vaccine is flatlining.
Some 71.4 per cent of eligible Australians, or just over 14.1 million people, have so far received a third dose.
But there are more than 5.6 million yet to get their booster.
The concern comes amid almost 29,000 new virus cases recorded across the nation on Saturday along with 89 deaths.
While decreasing daily over the past week, the number of virus patients in hospital care also remains a touch under 4500 or accounting for almost one in 12 hospital beds.
The number of active cases nationwide officially remains above 300,000.
Queensland is the worst-performing state for boosters, with 64.5 per cent of eligible residents receiving a third jab, while the ACT has the best coverage (79.9 per cent).
The booster rate is 55 per cent for Indigenous Australians nationally.
New third doses are barely rising each day, ranging from NSW recording 2075 on Friday and the Northern Territory 45.
“Third booster dose rates have flatlined, which is something I’m very concerned about,” Health Minister Mark Butler says.
Information campaigns are being rolled out but there is a persistent problem with the slow rate of uptake by under-65s.
So far 4.22 million Australians have received a fourth dose, after the program was extended several weeks ago.
Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston says the federal government’s response to the Omicron wave is “worrying”.
“They have ended a range of supports that have helped Australians through the pandemic and have been forced to backflip on the pandemic leave disaster payment,” she told AAP.
“With no explanation and no apparent advice or modelling to support their decisions, 70 COVID-related telehealth items, free RATS for concession card holders and aged care homes, and Operation COVID Shield have all ended.”
Senator Rushton said the government should release its health advice and modelling.
National cabinet, which is overseeing the pandemic response, is due to next meet on August 31.
The vaccination concerns come with Victoria announcing slightly fewer patients awaiting elective surgery despite one of the worst winters on record due to a horror flu season and the ongoing pandemic.
The state’s wait list for elective procedures shrunk from a revised 88,920 to 87,275 during the June quarter, while Ambulance Victoria experienced the busiest period for code one call-outs in its history.
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:
NSW: 11,998 cases, 30 deaths, 2187 in hospital with 57 in ICU
Victoria: 6261 cases, 24 deaths, 668 in hospital with 36 in ICU
Tasmania: 651 cases, one death, 23 in hospital with five in ICU
ACT: 579 cases, one death, 135 in hospital with two in ICU
WA: 2911 cases, two deaths, 346 in hospital with 14 in ICU
Queensland: 4174 cases, 18 deaths, 703 in hospital with 26 in ICU
NT: 231 cases, no deaths, 43 in hospital with one in ICU
SA: 1959 cases, 13 deaths, 311 in hospital and 10 in ICU.
