Immunisation weekly update – 21 July 2021

21 July 2021

COVID-19 vaccination update: fighting the Delta variant

Register here for the webinar this Thursday 22 July 7.00pm – 8.30pm

Join Associate Professor Nicholas Wood, Associate Director, Clinical Research and Services, NCIRS Senior Staff Specialist as he discusses COVID-19 vaccines and the conversations GPs need to be having with their patients

• practical information to assist GPs in having the AstraZeneca risk/benefit conversation
• the link between myocarditis and Pfizer vaccination
• impacts different strains of COVID-19 has on the effectiveness of vaccines
• the conversation and current data around mixing COVID-19 vaccines

You will also hear practical tips and insights from a local GP on how they run their vaccination clinic, and then from an RN on how they are running their nurse led clinics and drawing up vaccines. 

Excess AstraZeneca vaccines

Primary care COVID-19 vaccination sites may choose to transfer AstraZeneca vaccines from one participating vaccination site to another for a range of reasons, including to support unmet demand at another site or to manage an oversupply of stock. 

Practices with an oversupply of AstraZeneca vaccine stock on hand are encouraged to contact CESPHN via email at coronavirus@cesphn.com.au to help facilitate transfer to practices to who required additional AstraZeneca vaccine supply. 

New pregnancy advice for women who received their first dose of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and are now pregnant

New guidance advises that for women who received their first dose of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and are now pregnant, can receive their second dose of either COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca or Comirnaty (Pfizer), although Comirnaty is preferred.

Pregnant women should be routinely offered Comirnaty (Pfizer) at any stage of pregnancy. Pregnant women with COVID-19 have an increased risk of severe illness and adverse pregnancy outcomes. It is noted they are not currently picked up by the eligibility checker, however Pfizer vaccination providers are encouraged to facilitate the vaccination of pregnant women, who are not otherwise eligible, if they have capacity. Comirnaty is the preferred COVID-19 vaccine for women who are pregnant due to the amount of safety data available.

Further information:

• Joint statement between RANZCOG and ATAGI about COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women
• RANZCOG Statement
• Shared decision guide to COVID-19 vaccination is for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning pregnancy

• All people aged 40 to 59 years
• All residential aged care workers aged 16 years or older – more information
• All pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy – more information
• Certain eligible people aged 16 to 39 years – check eligibility criteria  
• People aged 60 years and over with a contraindication to the AstraZeneca vaccine or with a history of the following: 
• Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis 
• Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia 
• Idiopathic splanchnic (mesenteric, portal, splenic) vein thrombosis 
• Antiphospholipid syndrome with thrombosis 
• Information to assist healthcare workers talk about COVID-19 vaccines (16 July)
• Fact sheet – Side effects of COVID-19 vaccines (16 July)
• Common questions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (14 July)

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