Immunisation Weekly Update:

1. Support Whooping Cough Day on November 8 at your practice
2. NCIRS revamps measles vaccination clinical support resource
3. Immunisation Handbook updates
4. Education

Support Whooping Cough Day on November 8 at your practice

Saturday November 8 is Whooping Cough Day, which shines a spotlight on the threat posed by whooping cough and the simple ways people can remain protected throughout life. It encourages Australians to check if they are up to date with whooping cough vaccination by:

• Highlighting the importance of adult, pregnancy and childhood protection
• Providing practical information about boosters and how to access them.

A few ways that you can support efforts to reduce the spread of whooping cough:

Run a DTP vaccination recall activity for overdue adolescents

Our Immunisation Program Officers can support you in generating a list of adolescent patients at your practice who are overdue for their diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine. This will allow you to contact them to offer a free catch-up DTP vaccination funded through the National Immunisation Program.

Contact immunisation@cesphn.com.au for support. 

Display Whooping Cough Day resources such as this poster or flyer

NCIRS revamps measles vaccination clinical support resource

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has updated its measles vaccination guide for immunisation providers to align with state- and territory-funded measles catch-up vaccination programs introduced across Australia this year.

The simplified visual aid helps providers to assess the requirements for measles-containing vaccine based on if a person is born:

• before 1966 – when natural immunity has likely been acquired from previous infection and measles-containing vaccine is not typically needed
• during or after 1966 – when measles vaccination is recommended.
  

Measles vaccination is a NSW-funded additional free vaccine for individuals born during or after 1966 who have not had two doses, or who have an uncertain measles vaccination history.

The updated measles vaccination tool joins a suite of measles immunisation resources, including measles FAQs and the Australian Immunisation Handbook Measles chapter.

Australian immunisation experts continue to urge the community to prioritise measles vaccination in the wake of surging measles cases globally and declining coverage in Australia

Source: NCIRS Weekly Jab newsletter 24October 2025. Subscribe here: ncirs.org.au/user/register

Immunisation Handbook updates

Minor changes were made this week to two Australian Immunisation Handbook chapters.

The Administration of vaccines chapter has been amended to reflect recent changes in clinical practice and includes:

• new guidance on the angle of needle insertion and position of bevel while entering a bung to reduce the risk of coring
• updates to administration route lists for varicella vaccines
• updates to intradermal administration route to align with the hepatitis B chapter

The pneumococcal vaccine catch-up tables in the Catch-up vaccination chapter have been revised to clarify the schedule for non-Indigenous children and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Tasmania or Victoria who were born before 1 March 2025.

The tables have been revised to align with the new childhood pneumococcal vaccine schedule, which came into effect earlier this year.

Source: NCIRS Weekly Jab newsletter 24October 2025. Subscribe here: ncirs.org.au/user/register

Education