Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said on Thursday the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) had recommended the changes due to the threat of new and more infectious COVID-19 variants.

The federal government has accepted the expert recommendation and will open the fourth dose to those newly eligible from Monday.

ATAGI specifically recommended that people aged 50 to 64 years should have their fourth dose, while people aged 30 to 49 years may choose to have a fourth shot.

Glenrock Country Practice GP Ayman Shenouda said Riverina residents aged over 30 should seek medical advice about whether the vaccine boosters were suitable to protect them.

In other news

"I think it is good to encourage people to get the second booster. As we are going through the outbreak and the variants, we are finding that we are more reliant on the vaccine to reduce our hospitalisations," Dr Shenouda said.

"I think the infections might stop next year but right now the data we have shows that getting the boosters will save lives and save hospital admissions."

Dr Shenouda said he had been "disappointed" with the low number of people in Wagga getting their first booster, but the rate of people with more than two jabs had increased from 60 to 70 per cent in the past few weeks.

"It could also be an initiative for people to get their first or second booster. I think people are realising that the longer they leave the boosters, the more we will need to have more doses," he said.

Mr Butler urged all Australians over 50 to make sure they have "the greatest protection against COVID-19". "We are in the early stages of a third Omicron wave and our government is absolutely committed to making sure as many people as possible are protected with the vaccine," he said.

According to the 2021 census, the Wagga City Council area had more than 16,700 residents aged 30 to 49 and nearly 11,200 people aged 50 to 64.

Those figures suggest up to 28,000 residents in and around Wagga might become eligible for a fourth shot on Monday.

The Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) continues to record hundreds of new COVID-19 infections every day, with another 449 people testing positive in the 24 hours to 4pm on Wednesday.

Across the MLHD, 26 people were hospitalised, three people were admitted to intensive care units and five people died with COVID-19 in the week ending July 2.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: