Key Points
- TGA publishes data on side effects from COVID-19 vaccines
- Children under five represent 2.47 per cent of global cases: WHO
- The US CDC relaxes COVID-19 guidelines
On Friday, Australia reported at least 86 COVID-19 deaths, including 35 in New South Wales, 18 Queensland and 14 in Victoria.
The Australian government said people without a Medicare card can access antiviral COVID-19 pills. However, they need to contact offering free services to people with or without a Medicare card.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has received 665 reports of likely myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) from about 43.4 million doses of Comirnaty (Pfizer) doses administered in the country.
It also reported 104 reports of likely myocarditis from about 5.2 million Spikevax (Moderna) doses as of 7 August.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in its latest report on COVID-19 vaccination for children, noted that COVID-19 cases dramatically spiked in children during the Omicron wave compared to the initial pandemic phase.
The rise was attributed to the relaxed public, health and social measures.
Children under five represent 2.47 per cent, and those aged 5-14 represent 10.44 per cent of the total global COVID-19 cases.
The WHO said there were no safety concerns during the phase three trial of mRNA vaccines in children six months to five years. But it said the sample size was too small to identify rare events.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped its recommendation on Americans needing to quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person.
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