Mother's Day meteorite site discovered by WA police officer
Dr Eleanor Sansom from the Australian Desert Fireball Network says scientists are planning an expedition to recover more meteorite fragments.
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ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Getting COVID booster alongside flu shot could reduce hospitalisations, study finds
As winter begins, a new study has found that getting a COVID-19 booster at the same time as the flu vaccination could reduce the rate of hospital admissions for coronavirus. In a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, Burnet Institute researchers found that offering COVID-19 vaccination boosters alongside the flu shot could reduce the hospital admission rate for COVID-19 by up to 14 per cent. It comes amid a renewed push by experts for Australians to get the COVID-19 booster as the NB. 1.8.1 variant has driven up infections. Researchers used mathematical models to compare scenarios where COVID-19 vaccines were delivered at different times of the year. The results showed that even though COVID-19 was not seasonal like influenza, increasing COVID-19 booster rates by offering them at the same time as the influenza vaccine was still likely to be an effective public health strategy. In the last six months, there have been 1.3 million doses of COVID boosters administered to people aged 18 years and over. Experts have been proactive in their push for higher vaccination rates. Among them is Burnet Institute head of modelling and biostatistics, and co-author of the study, Associate professor Nick Scott. He said offering both vaccinations at the same time could also be a simple way to increase vaccination coverage. "By offering a COVID-19 booster vaccination alongside the annual influenza vaccination, we could aim to achieve similar vaccination coverage for COVID-19 as influenza, which would make a meaningful difference in reducing hospital admissions and deaths," he said. Another of the study's co-authors, mathematical modeller Fenella McAndrew, said the research showed that getting vaccinated at any time against COVID-19 was a benefit, so it made sense to receive both vaccinations together. "Unlike influenza, COVID-19 doesn't have a well-defined season, and when we modelled different scenarios, the percentage of people receiving booster vaccinations was more important than the timing of the vaccination," she said. With such a reliable vaccine available for COVID-19, it makes sense for people to receive regular booster vaccinations to protect themselves, she added. COVID-19 infection can lead to serious illness that can impact every system in the body, leading to a variety of health concerns including cognitive decline, immune system damage, liver impairment, kidney disease and reduced lung function. It can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The Australian government recommends COVID-19 booster vaccinations every 12 months for healthy adults between the ages of 18-64 without any risk factors. Older Australians, aged 75 and older, without any risk factors are advised to receive a booster vaccination every six months. According to the Department of Health, regular COVID-19 vaccinations are the best way to maintain your protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. They are especially important for anyone aged 65 years or older and people at higher risk of severe COVID-19.
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
Endangered Leadbeater's possum found in Kosciuszko National Park
A forest expert says after decades of speculation, scientists may have stumbled upon a new subspecies of the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum inside Kosciuszko National Park. Forest ecologist David Lindenmayer said while the possum was thought to be extinct in New South Wales, a research team from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water had likely stumbled across a new subspecies of the animal. After reviewing almost 1 million images from ground-based wildlife cameras set up to survey the also critically endangered smoky mouse, the possum was spotted in seven photos taken over a period of just 10 seconds in October. The images weren't discovered until last week. "It looks like a sugar glider, except it's not a glider," Professor Lindenmayer said. "It's a jumping possum that moves like greased lightning in the forest understorey, and this really illustrates the importance of large, protected areas like Kosciuszko National Park." All that was previously known about the mammal's NSW population was from fossil records from around the Yarrangobilly Caves and the Wombeyan Caves, outside Goulburn. "I think this is a relic population that has always been there, just in very small numbers that are very hard to detect," Professor Lindenmayer said. "This new discovery is very significant because other subspecies of the possum in Victoria are now getting perilously close to being lost. "There is a lowland population in southern Victoria, which is now down to about 40 individuals. "This new discovery shows there are some other safety populations outside that one." Two Leadbeater's possums were recently released into Coranderrk Bushland Nature Conservation Reserve in Victoria, in a decade-long effort to help rehabilitate the species. Professor Lindenmayer said after a climate model dating back to 1989 had predicted the possible presence of the marsupial in Kosciuszko National Park, he had been unable to sight the animal. "I spent several months wandering around the park doing night-time surveys and daytime vegetation assessments, and I never saw one in the park," he said. "I had a feeling it might be there, so this new discovery is wonderful news." NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the department would now conduct further surveys on the population. "It's an amazing discovery that we weren't expecting," she said. "We are really hopeful that this means this possum that we thought was previously extinct in NSW, is actually making a recovery." Ms Sharpe said the department would work with Victorian authorities on better understanding the species. "We know there are many threatened species, so to find one in New South Wales that we thought was extinct gives great hope to all our environmental programs that animals can return if we look after their habitat," she said. Professor Lindenmayer said while improvements in survey technology, such as cameras, had helped lead to the discovery, more would not be known until the population's genes were sequenced. "I think the population has been quite isolated from the populations in central Victoria, and they are not necessarily an easy animal to catch, but they are [able to be trapped] with the right techniques," he said. "It will be possible to take small tissue or hair samples to work out what its genetics are to see whether it's closely or distantly related to the animals in Victoria."
ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
Climate change minister insists Australia 'on track' to hit 2030 renewables target
Chris Bowen says strong investment figures will help Australia overcome challenges in reaching a 82 per cent renewables target by 2030.
