To issue a permanent or temporary exemption, doctors in all states and territories are required to ensure a patient meets specific criteria outlined in the ATAGI’s latest clinical guidance, which contains very few contraindications.
According to ATAGI’s Expanded Guidance, patients with some acute major medical conditions, and those who are undergoing major surgery or hospital admission for a serious illness, may be eligible for a temporary exemption for up to six months. Conditions that warrant a temporary exemption for Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines include inflammatory cardiac illness within the past six months. If a temporary exemption is issued, it is advised that it does not exceed six months and that the patient be reviewed once recovered.