STARTING April 1 PAXLOVID™ (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets) will be accessible on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for mild to moderate COVID-19 patients aged between 60-69 with one extra risk factor for severe illness.

This change increases PAXLOVID's eligibility criteria, making it the only COVID-19 oral antiviral medication to receive such an expansion.

Pfizer's Medical Director for Australia and New Zealand, Dr Krishan Thiru, emphasised that this update would enable more at-risk Australians to get treatment from their homes if they test positive for COVID-19.

According to Infectious Diseases Specialist Professor Robert Booy of the University of Sydney, vaccination is the most effective way to protect against COVID-19, and PAXLOVID is suitable for those at high risk of severe disease.