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The State Vaccine Centre will no longer be accepting vaccine orders. Orders placed before midday Tuesday, 19 December will be dispatched Wednesday, 20 December, and routine deliveries will recommence on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.
Please do not order excessive stock over this period to avoid vaccine wastages in the event of unexpected power outages.
In 2024, COVID-19 vaccines will remain free for everyone in Australia, with the ongoing requirement for the services to be bulk billed/free of co-payment:
A new NCIRS report shows vaccination coverage in children has continued to decrease since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for further targeted strategies to increase vaccine uptake and protect more Australians from vaccine preventable diseases.
The 2022 Annual Immunisation Coverage Report is the first study to thoroughly examine the continuing impacts of the pandemic on vaccination coverage rates in children, adolescents and adults across Australia. Access the full and summary versions of this report below:
CESPHN provides monthly Childhood Overdue Immunisation Reports to practices, extracted from the Australian Immunisation Register.
These reports can be used as a Quality Improvement Activity to identify and follow up children overdue for routine vaccinations.
Register your practice to receive monthly overdue reports in 2024 by completing the Request Form.
In case you missed anything, catch up on the latest immunisation news:
| New mandatory AIR fields | Two new reporting fields (Vaccine type and Route of administration) will become mandatory from 1 March 2024. |
| AIR043A report | AIR043A Vaccine Details report can be used to extract and reconcile vaccination information previously reported to the AIR. |
| Zostavax® disposal | Providers may discard Zostavax® vaccines prior to expiry date if there is no patient demand. |
| NIP vaccinations in pharmacy | The NIP Vaccinations in Pharmacy (NIPVIP) program commencing 1 Jan 2024 will allows patients to access free NIP vaccines in a community pharmacy. |
| COVID-19 Digital Certificate | The COVID-19 Digital Certificate has been decommissioned. AIR Immunisation History Statements can now be used for proof of vaccination. |
| Pre-travel vaccination | Encourage vaccination ahead of travelling to overseas destinations. |
| XBB.1.5 vaccine onboarding | Information for the onboarding of the three new monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccines, including ordering, administration on wastage. |
| Monovalent XBB.1.5 | Moderna and Pfizer Monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccines will be included in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program from 11 Dec 2023. |
| Moderna BA.4-5 discontinued | All Moderna BA.4-5 vaccines are expiring 20 Dec 2023 and will no longer be available to order from CVAS. |
| ProQuad® | ProQuad® will no longer be available on the NIP childhood schedule from Nov 2023. Priorix-Tetra® is still NIP funded for MMRV. |
| Shingrix® vaccine restrictions | NSW Health advised that Shingrix® vaccine ordering will be restricted during the initial roll out of the program until early 2024. |
| Shingrix® ordering | Providers can place orders for NIP Shingrix® vaccine via the NSW Vaccine Centre portal starting Monday, 30 Oct 2023. |
| Shingrix® | From 1 Nov 2023, Shingrix® will replace Zostavax® on the NIP and will be funded for 65+ years, First Nations 50+ years and immunocompromised 18+ years. |
| Zostavax® | Zostavax® funding for people aged 71 to 79 years ends 31 October 2023 |
Access to the most recent information is essential, as immunisation advice is updated regularly:
| Following vaccination – what to expect and what to do Dec 2023 | This resource provides easy-to-read information on common reactions that may occur after vaccinations – updated Dec 2023 to include Vaxelis®. |
| Whooping Cough Day Nov 2023 | Whooping Cough Day campaign resources about whooping cough and simple ways that people can remain protected. |
| Adult vaccinations – NIP Factsheet Nov 2023 | Consumer factsheet about free adult vaccines available on the NIP. |
| Adult vaccinations – NIP Brochure Nov 2023 | Consumer brochure about free adult vaccines available on the NIP. |
| Shingles – Health professionals’ kit Nov 2023 | Shingles communication resource kit for health – includes email examples, social media content and talking points for practice staff. |
| Shield yourself from shingles – Resource collection Nov 2023 | A collection contains fact sheets, brochures, posters and a health professionals’ kit about shingles vaccinations for eligible people. |
| NSW Immunisation Schedule Oct 2023 | The NSW Immunisation Schedule was updated October 2023 to include NIP funded Shingrix®. Order here |
| Shingrix® program advice Oct 2023 | Factsheet for vaccination providers about the Shingrix program. |
| Multiple childhood vaccinations Sept 2023 | NCIRS poster affirming the safety of children receiving more than one vaccine at the same time. Order here |
| Health Professionals’ Kit – Childhood Immunisation Aug 2023 | This health professionals kit designed to support conversations with parents and carers about childhood immunisation. |
| Childhood injection sites poster June 2023 | Poster for vaccination providers – illustrates recommended sites for childhood vaccinations in NSW. Order here |
COVID-19 vaccination advice is updated regularly, links to the most up-to-date information are listed below:
| Vaccine Administration Error reporting form Dec 2023 | This form is to help vaccine providers report a vaccine administration error under the COVID-19 Vaccination Program. |
| CCB reporting form Dec 2023 | This form is to help vaccine providers report a potential cold chain breach under the COVID-19 vaccination program. |
| COVID-19 handbook chapter Nov 2023 | Chapter for COVID-19 in the Australian Immunisation Handbook was updated 27 Nov 2023 to include the new XBB.1.5 vaccine. |
| COVID-19 recommended doses Nov 2023 | Flowchart outlines ATAGI recommended doses by age and risk factors. |
| COVID-19 comparison poster Nov 2023 | Poster outlines key differences between each COVID-19 vaccine available in Australia. |
| AIR042A COVID-19 report Oct 2023 | eLearning module and Simulation video for Health Professionals on accessing the AIR042A COVID-19 vaccination report feature from AIR. |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Reference Guide Oct 2023 | This guide contains information on storage, handling and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. |
| COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program (CVTP) Oct 2023 | This document contains all 18 modules of the former CVTP and their associated resources. |
Health Referral Forms
Immunisation Weekly Update State Vaccine Centre Christmas closure The State Vaccine Centre will no longer be accepting vaccine orders. Orders placed before midday Tuesday, 19 December will be dispatched Wednesday, 20 December, and routine deliveries will recommence on Tuesday, 2 January 2024. Please do not order excessive stock over this…
Immunisation Weekly Update: Are your vaccines ready for summer? In the summer season, storms are more likely to occur, which can lead to power outages. Refer to the Cold Chain Toolkit to ensure all vaccination storage requirements are in place should an outage occur. Disposal of Zostavax® Zostavax® vaccine will…
Immunisation Weekly Update: Immunisation education Register for upcoming immunisation education webinars below. View past webinar recordings on our Immunisation | Education webpage. In case you missed it: Introduction to the NIP – webinar recording Practice nurse networking evening Practice nurses are invited to join us for our Nurse networking evening….
Immunisation Weekly Update: Measles alert There have been 10 cases of measles in NSW since 1 January 2024, including two locally acquired cases. NSW Health released a measles alert on 11 April 2024, reminding health providers to consider measles in people arriving from overseas with fever even if previously vaccinated…
