Immunisation Weekly Update:

Practical guide: Immunisation for individuals with additional needs

NCIRS has produced a practical guide to support immunisation providers to vaccinate individuals with additional needs. The guide provides practical advice including clinical considerations, practice adjustments and what to do next if vaccination was not successful.

Some individuals may experience difficulties during vaccination, but with additional support and practice adjustments, these individuals can often be successfully vaccinated in the primary health care setting.

Flu impact on children and young people in NSW

Parents are being urged to book their child in for a flu vaccine these school holidays, amid concerns of rising influenza rates and hospitalisations among children and teenagers aged 5 to 16 years old.

Children are being disproportionately affected by influenza this year:

• Emergency department: children aged under 16 years represented more than half (54 per cent) of all ED presentations for influenza-like illness
• Hospital admissions: around 40 per cent of all influenza-like illness hospital admissions in the past week were children aged under 16 years
• Intensive care: 16 children have been admitted to intensive care since May, with life-threatening complications from influenza, including serious heart, brain, and muscle-related complications.

NSW Health held a press conference on Thursday 6 July 2023 to provide an update on influenza and its impact on children and young people in NSW.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander – Childhood Immunisation resources

These resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families explain the importance of vaccinations for children. They remind parents of the benefits and encourage them to vaccinate on time:

• One more way you keep your little ones safe poster – This poster encourages vaccination to protect our children from serious diseases
• Adaptable poster – This poster for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health services and clinics can be adapted to promote local clinic vaccination information.
• One more way you keep your little ones safe height chart – This height chart is for display in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health services and clinics to promote local vaccinations.

COVID-19 vaccine updates

Discontinuation of VCF Connect

VCF Connect has been retired as part of the transition to post-pandemic operations. Sites will need to register in Provider Connect Australia to maintain and update COVID-19 vaccine services information on HealthDirect Service Finder. For assistance, contact digitalhealth@cesphn.com.au

Discontinuation of Moderna Bivalent BA.1 Vaccine

• Ordering: Moderna Bivalent BA.1 vaccine is discontinued and can no longer be ordered.
• Expiry: All remaining Moderna Bivalent BA.1 vaccine doses will expire between 9-12 July 2023.
• Disposal: Providers should dispose vaccines the day after expiry and report any wastage in CVAS.
• Offboarding: Moderna Bivalent BA.1 vaccine will be automatically deactivated in CVAS once stock on hand for in CVAS shows zero and all reporting has been completed.

Update COVID-19 vaccine access within CVAS

The following vaccines will continue to be available as a primary course and booster dose:

• Moderna Bivalent BA4-5 PFS
• Pfizer Bivalent BA.1 (grey cap)
• Pfizer Bivalent BA.4-5 (grey cap)
• Novavax – can be used as a booster for those patients who are unable or prefer not to have mRNA vaccines

Submit a request to update vaccine access within CVAS:

1. Log into the CVAS portal,
2. Navigate to the ‘Manage Account’ tab and
3. Click the ‘Update Vaccine Access’ button and follow the prompts.

Immunisation education

GPs and nurses are encouraged to attend our immunisation event about the addition of Vaxelis® to the NIP:

• About: the recent addition of Vaxelis® to the childhood NIP schedule as an alternative to Infanrix Hexa®, and the key differences between the hexavalent vaccines
• Date: Thursday, 3 August 2023, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
• Location: The Waterfront Function Centre @ St George Motor Boat Club, 2 Wellington Street, Sans Souci, NSW 2219
• Registration:
  • Register for IN PERSON attendance
  • Register for ONLINE attendance