Australia offers 4th vaccine shot to ages 30 and up

Australia has begun offering a 4th shot against the coronavirus for ages 30 and over. The new round of vaccines come as the numbers of people hospitalized due to the virus rose across the country. There are about 4,000 people hospitalized across Australia due to COVID-19. Most are believed to be the new omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The last wave occurred in February. “The pandemic is not over, we are entering a third wave that is placing enormous pressure on our health and hospital system,” Health Minister Mark Butler told reporters in announcing the new vaccines, which began on Monday. Australians over 65 already were able to get the 4th vaccine dose.