Australia said on Thursday it would extend the release of a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine from next week as it faces an increase in hospital admissions motivated by Omicron’s highly contagious subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. New subvariants have now become a staple of coronavirus in many countries, with epidemiologists warning that they could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths because they spread more rapidly than other forms of coronavirus.
New South Wales, Australia’s most populous country, has warned of a new wave of infections driven by BA.4 and BA.5 types. Meanwhile, Victoria said these have become problems for the state.”The epidemic is not over, we are entering a third phase that puts a lot of pressure on our health system and hospitals,” Health Minister Mark Butler said during a press conference.
