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.
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.
[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.
[10] 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.
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.