Scott Morrison has talked up the possibility of Pfizer vaccines for children as young as five after the jab manufacturer was urged to seek Australian approval.
The federal government has invited Pfizer to apply to Australia's medicines regulator for approval to vaccinate children aged between five and 11 following promising overseas trials.
The prime minister is pleased with the take up of vaccines among children aged between 12 and 15.
Nationally, 16.8 per cent of children in that age group have received one dose and nearly one per cent are fully vaccinated.
Health Minister Greg Hunt has written to Pfizer asking it to seek approval with the Therapeutic Goods Administration simultaneous to its US application.
Mr Morrison - speaking from the US on Wednesday morning Australian time - is also enthusiastic about about clinical trials of the vaccine in younger children.
"We've invited, of course, Pfizer to bring forward that information and to progress that through the TGA to enable us to be in a position where we can provide those vaccines should the TGA approve them for use," he told reporters.
Chief Nursing Officer Alison McMillan expected younger children could be vaccinated this year if regulators gave the green light.
Murdoch Children's Research Institute immunisation researcher Margie Danchin stressed the importance of vaccinating children despite them generally becoming less ill than adults.
"Kids can still transmit the virus and particularly transmit it to adults. Unvaccinated adults, unvaccinated grandparents are vulnerable," she told ABC TV.
"So they (children) do play a role in transmission as well. Of course, we want to see them get back to school. We want to see them get back to lives."
In NSW, a quarter of children aged between 12 and 15 have received a jab as that state records 1035 new local cases and five more deaths.
Victoria, which has been rocked by violent anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown protests, has reported 628 new local cases and three additional deaths.
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations chair Jane Halton fears the Melbourne rally could lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
"It is a real risk," the former health department secretary told the Nine Network.
"You see how close all these people are together, how long they were together, how long they were together yesterday."
She urged Australia to stay the course and stressed most people were doing the right thing "unlike those 2,000 people who went berserk in Melbourne".
Mr Morrison condemned the "unacceptable behaviour" in Melbourne after protesters marched through the CBD and onto the West Gate Bridge, lighting flares, clashing with police and assaulting media.
