Immunisation Weekly Update:

Welcome to our weekly Immunisation Update! In this week’s update read about:

• Measles alert: Eastgardens, Botany, Alexandria, Sydney CBD and Darling Square
• Flu vaccine pre-allocation orders will close next week
• Mandatory AIR pregnancy status reporting starts next week
• Register for Pneumococcal Vaccination Recall QI Program in 2025
• Nurse education scholarship opportunities in 2025
• Education

Measles alert: Eastgardens, Botany, Alexandria, Sydney CBD and Darling Square

A person has been infectious with measles in Eastgardens, Botany, Alexandria, Sydney CBD and Darling Square between 14 – 20 February 2025.

From now until March 9, cases of measles may present at general practices, especially among infants who are too young to be vaccinated and individuals who have not received both doses of the MMR vaccine (incomplete vaccination). 

Ask patients presenting with fever or rash about recent overseas travel or visits to exposure sites. Refer to SESLHD Clinician Alert – Measles for guidance on the appropriate response.

Isolate and test people with measles symptoms exposed at these times and locations or recently returned from overseas. Locations include Westfield Eastgardens, Queen Victoria Building, Myer Sydney City, Bunnings Alexandria, Botany Road Doctors, Chemist Warehouse Botany, IGA Botany, and more.

Flu vaccine pre-allocation orders will close next week

Flu vaccine pre-allocations will close next week – acknowledge your pre-allocation order on NSW Vaccine Centre portal before 7 March 2025.

Prepare for the upcoming influenza season by completing the 2025 flu checklist and ordering flu campaign posters to display in your clinic.

Download the 2025 Influenza Vaccination Toolkit for further information about the 2025 seasonal influenza vaccination program, and refer to NSW Health site.

Mandatory AIR pregnancy status reporting starts next week

From 1 March 2025, it will be mandatory for all vaccination providers to report to the AIR information about whether an individual was pregnant at the time of vaccine administration.

Providers should update clinical software to support the reporting of pregnancy status at the time of vaccination to the AIR. Software providers have until October 2025 to update their software to include the antenatal indicator field and remove the ‘Antenatal’ option from the Vaccine type field.

Alternatively, providers can report of pregnancy status via the AIR site. Refer to instructions from NCIRS: How to report vaccines administered during pregnancy to the AIR or Services Australia: Submitting information using the AIR site infographic.

Register for Pneumococcal Vaccination Recall QI Program in 2025

Following the success of the pneumococcal vaccination recall program in 2024, GoShare is continuing to support general practices in completing this quality improvement activity and recall patients 70 and over that are due for recommended and funded pneumococcal vaccination. Find more information and register your interest here.

Nurse education scholarship opportunities in 2025

CESPHN is offering registered nurses (RN) working in general practice within the CESPHN region the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to attend one of four face-to-face educational workshops.

Workshops include 2025 Immunisation Professional Development Conference, Ear Wax Removal (Irrigation), Managing Wounds in Primary Healthcare and Perform Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation and Iron Infusion.

Education