Immunisation Weekly Update:

Workshop: Addressing vaccine hesitancy

Addressing vaccine hesitancy – lunch and learn workshop

• About: an interactive workshop taking a scenario-based approach to address low vaccine confidence and provide strategies to identify and engage patients who are hesitant to vaccination.
• When: Thursday | 29 June 2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm
• Register for workshop
• Pre-event submission: Attendees are encouraged to submit examples of vaccine hesitancy scenarios encountered in practice prior to the event. Email events@cesphn.com.au

Free Interpreting Service for GPs

Private medical practitioners can access the Free Interpreting Service to provide Medicare rebatable services to anyone in Australia who is eligible for Medicare. Under the Free Interpreting Service, private medical practitioners are defined as general practitioners, nurse practitioners, and approved medical specialists.

Download this poster to promote availability of free interpreting services at your practice. It is available for use in practices or services that are registered with the Free Interpreting Service (FIS).

Register for the Free Interpreting Service

Each practitioner will need a unique client code to access the service. To register for a client code, complete the online client registration form on the TIS National website. If you require assistance with registering, contact TIS National on 1300 575 847, or tis.freeinterpreting@homeaffairs.gov.au.

Management guidelines for MERS coronavirus in general practice

It is unlikely but Middle East respiratory syndrome

Health professionals should be alert to the possibility of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in unwell travellers returning from the Middle East. Although unlikely, it is possible that a patient with respiratory symptoms will have MERS so providers are encouraged to and review MERS management guidelines and obtain a full travel and exposure history.

This MERS Information card gives guidance to travellers on what they should do if they have recently travelled to a region that is affected by MERS and develop symptoms of this disease.

End of JEV emergency response

In March 2022, the first JEV outbreak in mainland Australia led to the declaration of a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance (CDINS). Since 1 January 2021, 45 people have been infected with JEV in Australia. Sadly, seven people died as a result. There have been no new human cases identified in Australia since December 2022.

Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly announced that based on the current situation, the need for a nationally coordinated emergency response has reduced, allowing the CDINS declaration to be stood down at this time.