Aus Covid vaccine booster program to start in Nov

Canberra, Oct 28 Australia's Covid-19 vaccine booster program will start for the adult population on November 8 as the country continues to battle the third wave of the pandemic.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on Thursday approved the Pfizer booster shots for Austral aged 18 and over six months after their second dose, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Those booster programs will obviously have a focus, especially on aged care and health workers, but it is an all of, whole of population booster program," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

The booster program will roll out directly to people living in Residential Aged Care Facilities and people with a disability through an in-reach program, according to the Prime Minister.

And frontline workers "are strongly encouraged" to book in to get a booster dose, if six months has passed since their second dose.

As of Thursday, 87.6 per cent of Austral aged 16 and over have received one vaccine dose and 75.5 per cent were fully inoculated, according to the Department of Health.

In the last 24 hours, Australia reported more than 2,200 new locally-acquired Covid cases and 27 deaths.

The new figures have pushed the overall infection tally and death toll to 165,904 and 1,696, respectively.