Australia’s therapeutic goods administration (TGA) has announced that reports on myocarditis and pericarditis cases following mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna are not necessary anymore and will no longer be provided. Australia’s national drug authority says this is because the rates have stabilised. However, the TGA will “continue to monitor and review these adverse…

Australian medical practitioners can now prescribe ivermectin for COVID-19 among other diseases under new rules confirmed by the nation’s therapeutic goods authority. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) confirmed on May 3 that the prescribing of oral ivermectin will no longer be limited to specialists such as dermatologists, gastroenterologists, and infectious diseases specialists. The move—which takes…

In a recent study, Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a leading British cardiologist and previously a proponent for the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, declared the global pandemic a pandemic of misinformation and called for a global stop of COVID-19 vaccinations. “What has become clear with regard to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is that we have a…

Australians over the age of 30 will be eligible to receive a fourth COVID-19 shot as early as next week, as more cases of the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 emerge. This comes after the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) met on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of expanding eligibility for the fourth…

Australia’s medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA), has provisionally approved two oral medications to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus—Paxlovid by Pfizer and Lagevrio by Merck Sharp and Dohme. They are the first oral treatments for COVID-19 to be approved for adults in Australia who do not need oxygen therapy, but…

Parents across Australia are now able to book COVID-19 vaccinations for their children aged 5 to 11. Bookings opened from Dec. 15, with inoculations for this age group set to commence on Jan.10 through state and territory-run clinics, pharmacies, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, and Commonwealth Vaccination Centres. Children aged 5 to 11 will receive two…

Health Minister Greg Hunt has assured that there are enough vaccines for booster shots despite the timeframe between the second dose and the booster shot being brought forward by a month. The minister announced at the press conference at Mornington Village pharmacy on Dec. 12 that 4.1 million Australians will be eligible to receive the…

The Australian Therapeutic Goods and Drugs Administration (TGA) has granted provisional approval for the use of the drug tocilizumab in the treatment of COVID-19. Sold under the brand name “ACTEMRA” and produced by Roche, the drug is already an approved treatment for arthritis and inflammatory conditions and is the fourth COVID-19 treatment to be given…

Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth has called for Australian state governments to exempt under 12s from mandatory vaccinations, saying the decision on whether to vaccinate them should lie with the children’s parents, News.com reported. This comes as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) considers granting provisional approval of the Spikevax (Moderna) vaccine for under…

Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth has called for Australian state governments to exempt under 12s from mandatory vaccinations, saying the decision on whether to vaccinate them should lie with the children’s parents, News.com reported. This comes as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) considers granting provisional approval of the Spikevax (Moderna) vaccine for under…