More than seven million people will be able to get a fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, after Australia’s leading immunisation body updated its advice.

From July 11, people over 50 will be recommended to receive a fourth vaccine dose, or second booster shot.

Those between 30 and 49-years-old will from Monday be able to have a fourth dose if they choose to do so.

The decision from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation comes amid rising numbers of virus cases across the country, fuelled by more transmissible strains of the Omicron variant.

Previously only those over 65, in aged or disability care, or immunocompromised were able to get a fourth dose.

ATAGI said the timing between vaccine doses or prior infection, whichever came first, would also be reduced from four months to three months.

The vaccine group did not extend eligibility for the fourth dose to those under 30 due to it not being known whether the benefits outweighed the risks among the population group.

Health Minister Mark Butler said 7.4 million people would be able to get their fourth dose from Monday.

As of Thursday, 60 per cent of people over 65 nationally have had a fourth Covid-19 vaccine. However, in Queensland the figure is only just over 50 per cent.

The move comes as Queensland hospitals revealed they may need to suspend elective surgery again as the state faces a third Covid-19 wave.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath says the two dominant subvariants are more contagious and more than 2000 health staff are off work due to the virus.

She says coming with the ongoing flu outbreak, which has put more than 100 people in hospital, some facilities may need to suspend elective surgeries before the Covid-19 peak in July-August.

“There is no doubt that this will continue to put pressure on our health system,” D’Ath told ABC radio on Thursday.

About 1200 Queensland hospital beds are already occupied by Covid-19, flu and long-stay patients, with pressure set to grow in the next two months.

D’Ath said case numbers were likely higher than official records and it was hard to predict the trajectory of the outbreak after children returned from school holidays on Monday.

ATAGI also said it was concerned the take up of booster doses had not been high enough.

It said it had noted the number of infections had increased and was placing a strain on the hospital system, noting it was expected to get worse in coming months.

Butler said it was critical for people eligible for a fourth dose to get one as soon as possible.

“The vaccine experts on the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation have recommended it – and the government has accepted this advice,” he said in a statement.

“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.”

Butler said while there wasn’t a set target as to how many over-30s would get the fourth dose, a big uptake would be needed ahead of spiralling winter cases.

“This decision … will reduce severe disease and will relieve pressure from our hospital system,” he said in Adelaide on Thursday.

“There’s almost 10,000 points of primary care, pharmacies and GP surgeries where you can go and get this fourth dose. We have lots of capacity in the system.”

He said activity at vaccination clinics was 80 per cent less than at the height of the rollout last year.

However, Australian National University infectious diseases expert Professor Peter Collignon said those who were more vulnerable to the virus should still be prioritised for a fourth dose.

“By looking at everybody for this, we’re missing the people who are most at risk,” he told Sky News on Thursday,

“By doing the whole population as we’re doing, and implying almost everybody’s equal, we’re missing the people who are dying the most, and that’s those who are older.”