Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation explained

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
Jurisdiction:Australian Government
Employees:15 members
Chief2 Name:Dr. Nigel Crawford
Chief2 Position:Chair
Parent Department:Department of Health

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is a technical advisory group of the Australian Government. As part of the Department of Health, ATAGI provides advice to the Minister of Health on the immunisation program of Australia and related matters, including the strength of evidence pertaining to existing, new, and emerging vaccines.[1] [2] [3]

Roles

ATAGI's role[2]

Members

ATAGI's members are appointed by Minister of Health (including a Chair and Deputy Chair) through an informal nomination process for a term of four years. ATAGI comprise voting members (including a Chair and Deputy Chair) and six ex-officio members, which are:[4]

Voting Members

, ATAGI's voting member are as follows:[1]

No.PositionNameStart Date End Date
1ChairDr. Nigel Crawford1 January 202330 June 2024
2Deputy ChairAssoc Prof Michelle Giles1 January 202330 June 2024
3MemberDr. Julia Marshall1 July 202330 June 2027
4MemberAssociate Professor Benjamin Teh1 July 202330 June 2027
5MemberMs. Kristy Cooper25 January 202130 June 2025
6MemberDr. Rosalind Webby1 July 202330 June 2027
7MemberDr. Katherine Gibney1 July 202330 June 2027
8MemberProf. Margaret Danchin1 July 202330 June 2027
9MemberDr. Nicholas Silberstein1 January 202330 June 2024
10MemberMs. Diane Walsh1 January 202330 June 2025
11MemberProf. James Wood1 January 202330 June 2025
12MemberMs. Karen Bellamy1 July 202330 June 2027
13MemberProf. Katie Flanagan1 July 202330 June 2027
14MemberProf. Penelope Burns1 January 202330 June 2025
15MemberProf. Allen Cheng1 January 202330 June 2025

Temporary Members

Temporary members may be appointed on a short term basis to provide specific expertise on key topics. Temporary members will be voting members for the term of their appointment to ATAGI.[5]

Meetings

The standard number of ATAGI meetings is six per year (in February, April, June, August, October and December), however they are yet to meet in 2024. These are pre-planned annually, according to the schedules of government and department programmes for the year. However, it is open for ATAGI to organise meetings and consultations at any time, whenever there may be need, on the group's initiative, or at the request of the department.[6] [7]

Recommendations

Advice during COVID-19 pandemic

On 8 April 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, ATAGI met with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regarding the recent concerns of blood clots following administration of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. ATAGI advised the government to use the AstraZeneca vaccine only for people over the age of 50.[8] [9] However on 17 June 2021, after cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) and two deaths, ATAGI changed their previous advice and only recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine for those over 60 years-of-age. The Commonwealth government followed their advice.[10]

COVID-19 vaccines for 12 to 15 years old individuals

On 27 August 2021, Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine has been recommended by ATAGI for adolescents aged 12 years or older after the TGA had extended the registration of the vaccine for administration to those age groups on 23 July 2021.[11]

Booster dose for severely immunocompromised

On 8 October 2021, ATAGI recommends the government start the rollout of booster dose (3rd dose) of COVID-19 vaccines for severely immunocompromised persons aged 12 years old or older. The preferable vaccines for booster dose are the mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). A 2 to 6 months interval for the booster dose from the date of second dose of the previous vaccine is recommended by ATAGI.[12]

Booster dose for adult Australians

On 28 October 2021, ATAGI recommends the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine as a booster dose for Australians aged 18 years or older, regardless of the previous COVID-19 vaccine used. The booster dose should be taken after six months from the second dose of the last course vaccination. However, the booster dose is not mandatory but recommended for high priority groups like aged care facilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, healthcare workers, people with underlying medical conditions, and people at increased occupational risk of COVID-19.[13]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. 2024-05-27. Department of Health Directory .
  2. Web site: Australian Government. Department of Health. 18 March 2021. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). live. 11 April 2021. Department of Health. https://web.archive.org/web/20190724035601/https://www.health.gov.au/committees-and-groups/australian-technical-advisory-group-on-immunisation-atagi . 24 July 2019 .
  3. Web site: Victoria State Government Department of Health. SafeVic. Murdoch Children's Research Institute. Department of Health and Human Services (Victoria). Murdoch Children's Research Institute. October 2020. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). live. 11 April 2021. Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre. https://web.archive.org/web/20210302013514/https://mvec.mcri.edu.au/references/atagi-australian-technical-advisory-group-on-immunisation/ . 2 March 2021 .
  4. Terry. M.Nolan. The Australian model of immunization advice and vaccine funding. 28. 19 April 2010. Vaccine. A76-83. Elsevier. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.02.038. 20413003. free.
  5. Web site: Policies and procedures for the administration and governance of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. 14 September 2021. 1 July 2019.
  6. Web site: Australian Government. Department of Health. 25 August 2021. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) – Meetings. live. 6 September 2021. Department of Health. https://web.archive.org/web/20210906031014/https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/australian-technical-advisory-group-on-immunisation-atagi-meetings . 6 September 2021 .
  7. Web site: Australian Government. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. 6.5 Role of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation for requests to list vaccines. live. 6 September 2021. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. 25 August 2021. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. https://web.archive.org/web/20210906031014/https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/australian-technical-advisory-group-on-immunisation-atagi-meetings . 6 September 2021 .
  8. News: Australian Government. Department of Health. Department of Health (Australia) . ATAGI statement on AstraZeneca vaccine in response to new vaccine safety concerns . 9 April 2021 . Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation . 8 April 2021.
  9. News: AstraZeneca vaccine: How new advice means total REPLAN of vaccine rollout . 7news . 8 April 2021 . 11 April 2021 .
  10. News: Hitch . Georgia . AstraZeneca COVID vaccine use recommended for over-60s only following ATAGI meeting . 22 June 2021 . ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 17 June 2021 . en-AU.
  11. Web site: ATAGI recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in all young adolescents in Australia . 27 August 2021. Australian Government Department of Health . 27 August 2021 . en-AU.
  12. Web site: ATAGI statement on the use of a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised. 6 October 2021.
  13. Web site: Australians To Receive Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shot. 28 October 2021. 31 October 2021.