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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2021/dec/05/australia-live-news-updates-omicron-covid-cases-pfizer-vaccine-approved
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| Australia live news updates: Pfizer provisionally approved for five to 11-year-olds; Bandt staffer tests positive for Covid | Australia live news updates: Pfizer provisionally approved for five to 11-year-olds; Bandt staffer tests positive for Covid |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Follow live updates | Follow live updates |
| Federal health minister Greg Hunt has praised the millions of Australians who have come forward to be vaccinated against Covid-19. | |
| He says that over 39.6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Australia. Currently, 92.8% of eligible Australians have received their first dose, and 88% are fully vaccinated. | |
| Since vaccines have been approved for 12-15 year olds, 76.7% of this age group have already received their first dose, and 67.8% are fully vaccinated. | |
| Hunt says that the TGA’s provisional approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 is the first of four steps “focused on the safety and effectiveness of vaccinating children”. | |
| Hunt: | |
| Federal health minister Greg Hunt is speaking live from Canberra about the government’s plan to rollout Covid-19 vaccinations for children. | |
| Labor says it will fund up to 20,000 extra university places over 2022 and 2023, and provide access to 465,000 free Tafe places in nominated areas of skills shortages, if Anthony Albanese wins the next federal election. | |
| The new skills and higher education commitments, worth $1.2bn, will be unveiled by the Labor leader at a campaign-style rally in Sydney on Sunday. The Tafe initiative will cost $621m over the forward estimates, and the university commitment costs $481.7m. | |
| Read the full story here: | |
| Parliament House has been closed to the public after a staffer for Greens leader Adam Bandt reportedly tested positive for Covid-19. | |
| Bandt and the staffer were in Canberra for sitting week last week. The staffer tested positive for Covid-19 upon returning to Melbourne. | |
| A spokesperson for Bandt told ABC News that the Greens leader has “been tested and is isolating until he receives a result. He is fully vaccinated and not symptomatic”. | |
| The spokesperson added that other members of Bandt’s team have tested negative for Covid-19. | |
| It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here, bringing you the blog today, Sunday 5 December 2021. | It’s Justine Landis-Hanley here, bringing you the blog today, Sunday 5 December 2021. |
| Let’s dive straight into some breaking news: | Let’s dive straight into some breaking news: |
| The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11. | The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11. |
| The government will begin rolling out the vaccine to the approximately 2.3 million children in this age group from 10 January 2022, the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said in a statement this morning. | The government will begin rolling out the vaccine to the approximately 2.3 million children in this age group from 10 January 2022, the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said in a statement this morning. |
| The decision is subject to final considerations and recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi). | The decision is subject to final considerations and recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi). |
| Children aged five to 11 will be given one-third of the dose approved for those aged 12 and over. Their vaccine dose will be clearly differentiated with an orange cap. | Children aged five to 11 will be given one-third of the dose approved for those aged 12 and over. Their vaccine dose will be clearly differentiated with an orange cap. |