Paediatric doses of the Moderna vaccine are now available to children younger than five who have complex or multiple health conditions, are severely immunocompromised or have a disability.

Among those categorised as at-risk are cancer patients, children with complex congenital heart disease or chronic lung disease, and children with a disability such as severe cerebral palsy or down syndrome.

The expanded rollout comes after the federal government’s vaccine advisory body, ATAGI, gave approval in August for the paediatric Moderna dose to be administered to at-risk children younger than five.

It was provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in July.

The expanded rollout makes an additional 5000 South Australian children eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Health Minister Chris Picton.

The state government will establish a mobile vaccination clinic on Kangaroo Island this week specifically for the newly eligible age group. It will operate from 8.30am to 4pm on Thursday and Friday.

More mobile clinics for the new age group will roll out across regional South Australia this month, the state government says.

“Expanding the COVID vaccine rollout will help protect our most vulnerable babies and children from becoming severely ill and ending up in hospital,” Picton said in a statement.

“I encourage parents who have kids with more acute needs to talk to their GP and see if their child is eligible to keep their families and the community safe.”

Two doses at eight-week intervals are recommended for children in the under-five age group, while severely immunocompromised children are recommended to have three doses.