Immunisation Weekly Update:

Nurse Grant: Immunisation Conference (valued at $600)

CESPHN is offering nurses an opportunity to attend a two-day immunisation conference valued at $600, which will be held at the Pullman Sydney Airport (Gadigal Country), Mascot NSW. Applicants must be able to attend in-person, two full days of conference on Wednesday 1st May and Thursday 2nd May 2024.

For more information see our Immunisation | Nurses webpage. Eligible nurses are encouraged to apply here.

Applications close Sunday 31 March 2024.

RSV vaccines and monoclonal antibody products

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has recently updated their RSV FAQs webpage which provides information on the latest developments in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines and passive immunisation against RSV using monoclonal antibodies.

Measles alert for western Sydney

NSW Health has released a measles alert for western Sydney, the ninth case in NSW in 2024.

The case is an infant who recently returned from southeast Asia where there have been ongoing outbreaks of measles.

The infant was too young to be vaccinated.

Providers are reminded that infants from the age of 6 months, who are travelling to countries where measles outbreaks are occurring, may receive MMR vaccine after an individual risk assessment.

People who were on the below flights or visited the below locations may have been exposed to measles and should monitor for symptoms.

• Flight VJ085 from Ho Chi Minh City arriving Sydney International Airport 2 March approx. 8am
• Sydney International Airport on 2 March from approximately 8am to 10am
• Rhodes Waterside on
  • 2 March between 11.00am and 12.45pm  
  • 8 March between 12.30pm and 1.10pm
• The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Emergency Department on
  • 5 March 2024 between 10.30pm and 6 March 12.30am
  • 6 March 2024 between 2.30am and 2.15pm
• The Children’s Hospital Westmead between 8 – 13 March 2024.

Immunisation providers are reminded that measles is a highly infectious disease, and the vaccination status of all patients born during or after 1966 should be checked to ensure they have received two doses of measles vaccine.

Patient immunisation history records can be checked via My Health Record, the Australian Immunisation Register online site, and via some clinical software systems (e.g. BP Premier or MD Clinical). 

See the measles pathway for full management details: South Eastern Sydney or Sydney HealthPathway.

Pfizer 5-11 years (Orange) supply update

The Commonwealth’s supply of the Pfizer 5-11 years (Orange) vaccine expires on 30 April 2024, and providers will no longer be able to order this vaccine product from 5 April 2024. The Pfizer (XBB.1.5) 5-11 years (Light Blue) is available to replace this formulation.

Providers are reminded that, according to the latest ATAGI advice, children under the age of 18 years with no risk factors are no longer recommended to receive a primary course of COVID-19 vaccine.

Booster doses are also not recommended for this cohort unless the child has severe immunocompromise.

See the Australian Immunisation Handbook COVID-19 Chapter for the latest COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children. The Handbook was updated 15 March 2024 to reflect the latest ATAGI 2024 recommendations.

Updated COVID-19 Vaccines in Australia poster

The COVID-19 Vaccines in Australia poster, updated on 12 March 2024, provides key differences between each COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program.

Immunisation providers are advised to immediately discard all previous versions of this poster.

Aged care worker survey

The Aged Care Worker Survey 2024 is an opportunity for workers from the aged care sector to provide feedback to the Department about what is working well and not so well in the sector.

The survey is open from 18 March to 30 April 2024 and should take about 20 minutes to complete.

Immunisation education

Register for upcoming immunisation education webinars, including CESPHN’s annual immunisation update. View past webinar recordings on our Immunisation | Education webpage.