Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is a technical advisory group of the Australian Government. As part of the Department of Health, ATAGI provides advice to the Minister of Health on the immunisation program of Australia and related matters, including the strength of evidence pertaining to existing, new, and emerging vaccines.[1][2][3]

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
Agency overview
Formed1 February 1998 (1998-02-01)[1]
JurisdictionAustralian Government
Employees15 members
Agency executives
  • Dr. Nigel Crawford, Chair
Parent departmentDepartment of Health
Websitehealth.gov.au/committees-and-groups/australian-technical-advisory-group-on-immunisation-atagi

Roles

ATAGI's role[2]

  • The main role of ATAGI is to provide advice on the administration of vaccinations related to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) to the Minister of Health
  • Advisory on the ongoing immunisation research or the most needed areas
  • furnish industry supports with pre-accommodation guidance for likely entries to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) on immunisation viability and use in Australia. ATAGI guidance should be looked for before support making an accommodation to the PBAC
  • Discussion with pertinent associations to create the Australian Immunisation Handbook
  • Discussion with significant associations in carrying out vaccination arrangements, strategies and immunization security

Members

ATAGI's members are appointed by Minister of Health (including a Chair and Deputy Chair) through an informal nomination process for a term of four years. ATAGI comprise voting members (including a Chair and Deputy Chair) and six ex-officio members, which are:[4]

  • Assistant Secretary, Immunisation Branch, (Office for Health Protection) Department of Health
  • Director, Drug Safety and Evaluation, Therapeutic Goods Administration
  • Representative from the National Immunisation Committee
  • Representative from the Communicable Diseases Network Australia
  • Director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance

Voting Members

As of January 2022, ATAGI's voting member are as follows:[1]

No. Position Name Start Date End Date
1 Chair Dr. Nigel Crawford 1 July 2021 31 December 2022
2 Deputy Chair Assoc Prof Michelle Giles 1 July 2021 31 December 2022
3 Member Prof. Tom Snelling 1 July 2019 30 June 2023
4 Member Ms. Karen Ballamy 1 July 2019 30 June 2023
5 Member James Wood 1 July 2021 31 December 2022
6 Member Prof Katie Flanagan 1 July 2019 30 June 2023
7 Member Dr. Nicholas Silberstein 1 July 2021 31 December 2022
8 Member Ms. Diane Walsh 1 July 2021 31 December 2022
9 Member Dr Dr. Penelope Burns 1 July 2021 31 December 2022
10 Member Kristy Cooper 25 January 2021 30 June 2025
11 Member Prof. Cheryl Jones 1 July 2019 30 June 2023
12 Member Dr. Katherine Gibney 1 July 2019 30 June 2023
13 Member Prof. Bette Liu 1 July 2019 30 June 2023
14 Member Prof. Tony Korman 1 July 2019 30 June 2023

Temporary Members

Temporary members may be appointed on a short term basis to provide specific expertise on key topics. Temporary members will be voting members for the term of their appointment to ATAGI.[5]

Meetings

The standard number of ATAGI meetings is six per year (in February, April, June, August, October and December). These are pre-planned annually, according to the schedules of government and department programmes for the year. However, it is open for ATAGI to organise meetings and consultations at any time, whenever there may be need, on the group's initiative, or at the request of the department.[6][7]

Recommendations

Advice during COVID-19 pandemic

On 8 April 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, ATAGI met with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regarding the recent concerns of blood clots following administration of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. ATAGI advised the government to use the AstraZeneca vaccine only for people over the age of 50.[8][9] However on 17 June 2021, after cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) and two deaths, ATAGI changed their previous advice and only recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine for those over 60 years-of-age. The Commonwealth government followed their advice.[10]

COVID-19 vaccines for 12 to 15 years old individuals

On 27 August 2021, Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine has been recommended by ATAGI for adolescents aged 12 years or older after the TGA had extended the registration of the vaccine for administration to those age groups on 23 July 2021.[11]

Booster dose for severely immunocompromised

On 8 October 2021, ATAGI recommends the government start the rollout of booster dose (3rd dose) of COVID-19 vaccines for severely immunocompromised persons aged 12 years old or older. The preferable vaccines for booster dose are the mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). A 2 to 6 months interval for the booster dose from the date of second dose of the previous vaccine is recommended by ATAGI.[12]

Booster dose for adult Australians

On 28 October 2021, ATAGI recommends the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine as a booster dose for Australians aged 18 years or older, regardless of the previous COVID-19 vaccine used. The booster dose should be taken after six months from the second dose of the last course vaccination. However, the booster dose is not mandatory but recommended for high priority groups like aged care facilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, healthcare workers, people with underlying medical conditions, and people at increased occupational risk of COVID-19.[13]

See also

References
  1. Australian Government (1 January 2022). "Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation". Department of Health Directory. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  2. Australian Government; Department of Health (18 March 2021). "Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI)". Department of Health. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  3. Victoria State Government Department of Health; SafeVic; Murdoch Children's Research Institute (October 2020). "Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI)". Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  4. M.Nolan, Terry (19 April 2010). "The Australian model of immunization advice and vaccine funding". Vaccine. Elsevier. 28: A76-83. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.02.038. PMID 20413003.
  5. "Policies and procedures for the administration and governance of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation". 1 July 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  6. Australian Government; Department of Health (25 August 2021). "Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) – Meetings". Department of Health. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  7. Australian Government; Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (25 August 2021). "6.5 Role of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation for requests to list vaccines". Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  8. Australian Government, Department of Health (8 April 2021). "ATAGI statement on AstraZeneca vaccine in response to new vaccine safety concerns". Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  9. "AstraZeneca vaccine: How new advice means total REPLAN of vaccine rollout". 7news. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  10. Hitch, Georgia (17 June 2021). "AstraZeneca COVID vaccine use recommended for over-60s only following ATAGI meeting". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  11. "ATAGI recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in all young adolescents in Australia". Australian Government Department of Health. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  12. "ATAGI statement on the use of a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised". 6 October 2021.
  13. "Australians To Receive Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shot". 28 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
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