The fourth edition of the National Vaccine Storage Guidelines ‘Strive for 5‘ has been released by the Australian Government, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
This updated resource provides current advice on safe vaccine storage, with new supporting materials for immunisation providers.
The guidelines, posters, stickers and appendices can be viewed and downloaded from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
Maintaining the cold chain
The new guidelines make specific mention of the importance of ensuring that the cold chain is maintained when vaccines are purchased from pharmacies:
All immunisation service providers who provide a prescription to their patient for the purchase of vaccine/s must advise the client that vaccine/s must be taken directly to their administering healthcare professional for administration or refrigerated storage.
NCIRS has published a series of vaccine safety pages for immunisation providers and the public that give clear, easy-to-understand information on range of vaccine topics, including how:
In light of recent debate in the US, the pages are timely – with immunisation experts in Australia and globally indicating it is more important than ever for the public to have access to clear, evidence-based information about both vaccines and how safety concerns are managed.
View the vaccine safety webpages here.
Source: NCIRS Weekly Jab newsletter 3 October 2025. Subscribe here: ncirs.org.au/user/register
Last week, NCIRS’ webinar ‘What’s new in pneumococcal vaccination for infants, children and adolescents’ gave a comprehensive overview of the National Immunisation Program (NIP) pneumococcal vaccine schedule changes for infants, children and adolescents – which were implemented on 1 September.
Under the updated NIP, Prevenar 20 is now the standard pneumococcal vaccine for children and adolescents across all Australian states and territories.
To reflect the schedule and Australian Immunisation Handbook changes, NCIRS recently updated their pneumococcal resources including:
Readers who missed the webinar can catch up on videos of the speakers’ presentations, which are now available here on the NCIRS website.
Source: NCIRS Weekly Jab newsletter 3 October 2025. Subscribe here: ncirs.org.au/user/register
A new study from the National Vaccination Insights project – published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health – has identified practical, evidence-based strategies to address key parental barriers to childhood vaccination.
The findings offer a timely framework to help reverse the steady and concerning decline in vaccine uptake in young children observed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Out-of-pocket costs, limited appointment availability, lack of opportunities to discuss vaccination with providers and eroding trust in information from immunisation providers were among the key barriers preventing some parents and caregivers from vaccinating their children on time.
The publication Getting more kids vaccinated on time: Strategies and broader policy considerations to address caregiver-identified barriers to childhood immunisation in Australia can be viewed here.
| REGISTER HERE 9 October 2025 15.00 AEDT Online | Quality Practice Accreditation Cold Chain Management Webinar QPA will review common cold chain problems that have previously been identified during visits and how these can be prevented. |
| REGISTER HERE 18 October 2025 9.00 – 16.30 AEDT In person event Pullman Hotel Mascot | CESPHN Annual Practice Nurse Forum Day The landscape of primary care is shifting—and practice nurses are leading the way. Join us for a dynamic and informative Practice Nurse Forum Day, featuring engaging presentations, insightful discussions, and valuable networking opportunities designed to support and inspire nurses in their practice. |
| REGISTER HERE 5 November 2025 18.30 – 19.30 AEDT Online | DTPa Immunisation for under 5-year-olds Webinar The Immunisation Coalition is hosting this webinar to provide an important update for healthcare professionals involved in childhood immunisation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination rates in children under 5 years have declined across several key disease areas, including DTPa (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis). This webinar will explore the importance of maintaining high DTPa coverage in early childhood, the implications of declining rates, and strategies to support improved uptake among children under 5. |
| REGISTER HERE 5 November 2025 19:00 – 20:30 AEDT Online | Protecting adolescents through immunisation: insights, drivers and opportunities for action – NCIRS webinar The webinar will cover: current trends in adolescent vaccination coverage in Australia the adolescent immunisation schedule the latest Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) research into the barriers and drivers of adolescent vaccination practical strategies to support vaccine confidence and uptake among teenagers The session will also introduce SKAI Adolescent – a new information suite on the SKAI website that is designed to support families to make informed decisions about adolescent immunisation. |
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