Leslie Massey
Australia has not banned COVID-19 vaccines for children, despite an ongoing case submitted by the Australian Vaccination-risks Network against Brendan Murphy, the secretary of Australia's Department of Health. The case seeks to repeal the approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 and challenge the approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 6 years. While the Federal Court of Australia dismissed a similar case in March 2022, the High Court is still reviewing the current case and has not made a ruling. Additionally, Australia did not ban the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine but phased it out due to the availability of newer and better vaccines. In 2012, Australia temporarily suspended the Agrippal and Fluad flu vaccines due to the presence of white particles in syringes, and in 2010, Western Australia paused FluVax flu shots for children under 5 due to adverse effects.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| COVID-19 vaccines banned for children | No |
| COVID-19 vaccines still available for children | Yes |
| High Court decision on the case | Pending |
| Federal Court decision on the case | Case dismissed |
| AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine banned | No |
| AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine no longer available | Yes |
| Anti-vaccine flyers banned from being posted by mailing services | Yes |
| COVID-19 vaccine using fragments of HIV banned | Yes |
| COVID-19 vaccine using fragments of HIV rolled out | No |
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What You'll Learn
Australia has not banned COVID-19 vaccines for children
In March 2022, the same group filed a case with the Federal Court of Australia seeking to repeal the approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. This case was dismissed. Despite the ongoing review by the High Court, the COVID-19 vaccines remain available for children in Australia, and the Federal Court's dismissal of the previous case indicates that there is no ban on these vaccines for children.
It is important to note that the Australian government's recommendation is for children aged 6 months to under 5 years with an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 to receive the Moderna Spikevax pediatric COVID-19 vaccine as part of their primary schedule until May 2023. The Pfizer vaccines are also available for individuals under 18 years of age for primary courses and boosters.
While there have been discussions about banning anti-vaccine flyers and misinformation distributed by groups like the United Australia Party, there is no indication that Australia has banned COVID-19 vaccines for children. The Australian government and health authorities have been taking steps to address vaccine hesitancy and provide accurate information to the public.
In the past, Australia has temporarily suspended or phased out certain vaccines due to safety concerns or the availability of newer options. For example, in 2020, Australia cancelled a Covid-19 vaccine project that used fragments of HIV due to concerns about false positive HIV test results. Additionally, in 2012, Australia temporarily suspended the Agrippal and Fluad flu vaccines, along with other countries, due to the presence of white particles in the syringes. However, these suspensions were based on specific safety concerns and did not amount to a ban on all COVID-19 vaccines for children.
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AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine banned due to safety concerns
Australia has not banned the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, or any other COVID-19 vaccine. However, in March 2021, health authorities recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine only be given to people over 50 due to the risk of blood clotting.
In early 2023, an anti-vaccine group called the Australian Vaccination-risks Network challenged the approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. The High Court is still reviewing the case and has not made a ruling.
Despite this, COVID-19 vaccines are still available for children in Australia. The Australian government still recommends the Moderna vaccine, although it is being replaced by the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine.
AstraZeneca has also recently opened its first U.S.-operated cell therapy manufacturing plant, which will be used to treat cancer patients.
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COVID-19 vaccine with HIV fragment cancelled in 2020
In late 2020, a COVID-19 vaccine project that used a fragment of HIV was cancelled. The vaccine was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) in partnership with Australian global biotech company CSL. It used COVID spike proteins, a part of the virus on the outer shell that the immune system can react to. A tiny fragment of HIV was used as a molecular clamp to hold the spike protein in place.
Although the vaccine was deemed safe and produced a strong immune response, several trial participants returned false-positive HIV test results. The participants were not infected with HIV but had generated antibodies against HIV, leading to inaccurate test results.
Following the discovery, the Australian government terminated its agreement with UQ and CSL, and funding was removed. Professor Chappell, who was involved in the project, expressed disappointment at the misrepresentation of their work and confirmed that the participants' health was not put at risk.
The cancellation of this particular COVID-19 vaccine project in Australia was due to the specific issue of HIV false positives and did not reflect a broader ban on COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
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Anti-vaccine flyers banned by Australian mailing services
Australia has not banned COVID-19 vaccines for children. The High Court is reviewing a case submitted by the Australian Vaccination-risks Network, challenging the approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. However, the Federal Court had previously dismissed a similar case seeking to repeal approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. The COVID-19 vaccines are still available for children in Australia, and the government recommends getting the Moderna vaccine.
In the context of this ongoing debate, some Australian mailing services have taken a stand against the dissemination of anti-vaccine misinformation. The postal industry's Distribution Standards Board (DSB) has updated its code to prevent signatories from mailing COVID-19 misinformation. This means that anti-vaccination flyers, such as those distributed by the United Australia Party (UAP), could be banned from being delivered by many of the country's largest mail distributors.
The industry's self-regulatory body decided to change its code to prohibit signatories from mailing content containing misinformation with the potential to harm public health. Clive Palmer's United Australia Party has been sending mail and text messages about COVID-19 and the vaccination program, warning of "adverse reactions" to the vaccines based on a TGA report. However, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) believes that distributing incomplete extracts of reports on adverse events relating to COVID vaccines could be "seriously misleading".
In June 2021, the DSB deemed anti-vaccination flyers as "adult content", requiring them to be sealed or wrapped in plastic so that children cannot see the content. While this decision was implemented, signatories to the code continued to face pressure to distribute more COVID-19 misinformation, leading to calls for further strengthening of the code.
The federal government has also faced pressure to act against these messages, but the Australian Electoral Commission and the Australian Communications and Media Authority have indicated limited powers to sanction them due to exemptions in anti-spam laws for non-commercial messages and the lack of truth in political advertising laws.
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Australia temporarily suspended Agrippal and Fluad flu vaccines in 2012
Australia has not banned any COVID-19 vaccines for children. The High Court is reviewing a case submitted by the Australian Vaccination-risks Network against Brendan Murphy, the secretary of Australia's Department of Health. The group is challenging Murphy's approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. However, the Federal Court of Australia dismissed a similar case filed by the same group in 2022. The COVID-19 vaccines are still available for children in Australia, and the government recommends getting the Moderna vaccine.
In 2012, Australia temporarily suspended the use of two specific influenza vaccines, Agrippal and Fluad (Fluad Quad), for children under the age of 9. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recommended against these vaccines for this age group due to safety concerns. The sponsors of the vaccines had not established active surveillance to monitor their safety in children under 9 at that time. However, the TGA now considers Agrippal and Fluarix safe for children from the age of 6 months based on additional data submitted by the sponsors.
Fluad Quad is an adjuvanted influenza vaccine recommended for adults aged 65 years and older in Australia. It is registered for use only in this age group. Around 30% of people who received Fluad reported injection site reactions, which is slightly higher than the standard-dose influenza vaccine. However, rates of severe or serious adverse events did not increase with the adjuvanted vaccine, according to clinical trials and post-licensure surveillance studies.
It is important to note that the temporary suspension of Agrippal and Fluad in 2012 was specific to children under 9 and that these vaccines are now considered safe for children from 6 months of age in Australia. The Australian Immunisation Handbook provides information on recommended influenza vaccines and their administration, including Fluad Quad.
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Frequently asked questions
No, but the Australian government has banned the use of ivermectin for Covid-19.
No, but the AstraZeneca jab was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and was scheduled to be administered from March 2021.
Yes, Novak Djokovic was deported from Melbourne after failing to comply with Australia's Covid-19 entry rules. Kanye West was also banned from entering Australia unless he gets fully vaccinated.
No, but there was a ban on Australians travelling overseas for a holiday in 2021 despite the start of the Covid vaccination program.
