Australians will soon be able to get a COVID-19 booster shot after the medical regulator gave the green light to a third dose.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Wednesday granted provisional approval for those aged 18 and over to receive a top-up dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The administration recommended the top-up be given six months after a person's second dose.
Those in aged care and disability care will be given priority for the boosters, with Health Minister Greg Hunt indicating he expected the third dose to be made available to the general public no later than November 8.
"It's a universal booster, so it's available for people who have had Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna," Mr Hunt told reporters in Canberra.
"This is an important step and it will mean that Australia will be one of the most highly vaccinated societies in the world."
Severely immunocompromised Australians are already eligible to receive booster shots.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will provide further advice on boosters to the government shortly.
Mr Hunt said there would be no targets set for the number of Australians who would get a booster shot and it would not be mandated by the Commonwealth.
"We don't want to put any limits on that and we want every eligible Australian to do so," Mr Hunt said.
"There's only one (booster) shot that's required and there is sort of an unconstrained supply ... we're in a very strong situation."
It is estimated that by January there will be 1.6 million people who will have been fully vaccinated for six months or more and will be eligible for the boosters.
The government expect Moderna will also make an application to the TGA to register their vaccine for booster approval.
Meanwhile, Therapeutic Goods Administration deputy secretary Professor John Skerritt said vaccine approval for five to 11-year-olds was imminent.
It comes after American authorities backed a proposal to allow the Pfizer vaccine to be made available to younger children.
Professor Skerritt said he expected to receive a full application for approval from Pfizer shortly.
"It will take a few weeks, but I would hope that we would get there (for approval) by the end of November," he said.
The federal government has scrapped travel exemptions for people to leave the country, paving the way for the resumption of international travel next week.
Exemptions will no longer be required for vaccinated travellers from November 1, which is when overseas flights will resume.
That date will also mark the start of rapid antigen tests being available.
Nine of the tests have been approved by the medical regulator so far, with others still under review.
Test kits will be available in pharmacies, supermarkets and convenience stores.
Mr Hunt confirmed the fully vaccinated rate across the country has increased to 74.8 per cent, while 87.4 per cent have had a first dose.
There were 1534 new cases and 13 deaths reported in Victoria on Wednesday, and 304 new infections in NSW.
Queensland registered no new cases after the Sunshine State had two infections on Tuesday. There were 10 cases in Canberra.
