Immunisation Weekly Update:

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

• Measles alert for Campbelltown area  
• COVID-19 vaccines now funded through the NIP 
• Updates to the Australian Immunisation Handbook
• Education 

Measles alert for Campbelltown area 

Healthcare providers are reminded to discuss measles immunity and catch-up vaccination with patients after NSW Health has issued a measles alert, after a confirmed case in the Campbelltown area. The person visited several locations in the Campbelltown area and a location in Concord and Rooty Hill while unknowingly infectious.

The case occurred in a returned traveller from South-East Asia and follows a recent Measles Alert in Northern NSW in a traveller who also returned from South-East Asia.

The person visited several locations in the Campbelltown area and a location in Concord and Rooty Hill while unknowingly infectious. 

Measles remains one of the most highly contagious vaccine-preventable diseases. As measles cases continue to be spread by travellers returning from overseas, providers should encourage patients planning international travel to check their vaccination status and ensure they are fully vaccinated before travel.  

Who can receive the MMR vaccine?  

NSW provides free measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine for: 

• Individuals born during or after 1966 who have not received two documented doses of a measles-containing vaccine. 

• Individuals with an uncertain measles vaccination history. 

• Rubella-seronegative postnatal women. 

• Infants aged 6 months to less than 12 months travelling overseas, in accordance with Australian Immunisation Handbook recommendations.  

Key actions for GPs 

• Opportunistically review measles immunity and offer catch-up MMR vaccination where appropriate, particularly in patients planning overseas travel.  

• Ensure patients born during or after 1966 have documentation of two doses of measles-containing vaccine.  

COVID-19 vaccines now funded through the NIP 

COVID-19 vaccinations are now funded under the NIP, replacing the National COVID-19 Vaccination Program.

Free vaccines are now only available for eligible individuals at risk of severe disease:  

• All adults aged 75 years and over (one dose every 6 months)  

• Adults aged 65-74 years (one dose every 12 months) 

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50-74 years (one dose every 12 months)  

• All adults aged 18 years and older with severe immunocompromise (one dose every 12 months)  

Read more about the NIP funded COVID-19 vaccine here.  

New NIP schedule 

COVID-19 has been added to the NIP schedule to reflect changes to COVID-19 vaccination recommendations and funding arrangements given the transition of COVID-19 vaccines to the NIP. See the updated NSW Immunisation Schedule here.  

Order a copy of the updated schedule from CESPHN’s Immunisation – Resource order form. 

COVID-19 vaccine ordering is now open 

Ordering for COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) has commenced through the State Vaccine Centre (SVC). Place any future orders for Comirnaty in line with the new National Immunisation Program (NIP) eligibility with your usual routine order by: 

1. Logging into your SVC account 

2. Clicking ‘Place an order’ 

3. Clicking ‘Place routine vaccine order’ 

Fridge basket labels will be distributed as part of one of your upcoming orders, and the updated NSW immunisation schedule has been published on 1 October with the new eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines under the NIP. 

If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 program, please reach out to your local Public Health Unit at 1300 066 055. 

For technical assistance with orders, including login issues, please contact the NSW State Vaccine Centre (SVC) on 1300 656 132. 

Australian Immunisation Handbook updated  

Several chapters of the Australian Immunisation Handbook have been updated on the 30 September 2026 and 1 October 2026, including updating the ‘term’ inactivated to reflect the broader terminology of ‘non-live’ across multiple chapters. View all updates here.  

COVID-19 chapter 

Updates have been made to the COVID-19 pages following changes to the ATAGI recommendations from a primary-booster dose schedule into an annual dose schedule and the transition of COVID-19 vaccine funding to the NIP.  

Key updates include new recommendations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50-74 years, pregnant women and other age groups, addition of a detailed risk-benefit assessment, and an addition of “timing of COVID-19 vaccination” section.  

View all the changes to COVID-19 information here.  

Other key updates include: 

• The pneumococcal chapter, where wording has been added to clarify recommendations for people undergoing HSCT. 

• The varicella (chickenpox) chapter, where text has been updated to clarify two doses of varicella vaccine are recommended and the recommended interval between doses. 

• The zoster (herpes zoster) chapter, where pregnant and breastfeeding women were moved from the contraindications section to the precautions section. 

• Vaccination for women who are planning pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding where updates were made to recommendations for pregnant women to consider a COVID-19 vaccine dose from 20 weeks gestation in every pregnancy.  

Education