Immunisation weekly update – 22 June 2022

Management of long COVID in primary care

This week’s Australian Government Department of Health webinar will be discussing the management of Long COVID in primary care settings. GPs and all health professionals are welcome. Click link to join webinar on Thursday 23 June 2022 at 11:30am (AEDT).

Measles case identified

Following a measles case identified in NSW/Victoria border region, NSW Health is urging all NSW residents to ensure they are fully protected against measles. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, and many adults born during or after 1966 have only had one dose of measles vaccine and are not fully protected against infection. Two doses of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine provides lifelong protection against measles in 99 out of 100 vaccinated people.

Free MMR vaccines in NSW:

In NSW, MMR vaccine is free for everyone born during or after 1966 who do not yet have two documented doses of measles vaccine. NCIRS have developed a Measles vaccination catch-up guide for Australian immunisation providers.

Influenza activity high in children aged 0-9 years

Surveillance continues to show an increase in influenza activity across NSW, indicating an early commencement to the influenza season and a rapid increase in reported cases, with the highest activity in children aged 0-9 years. Influenza A is the dominant circulating strain.

A consistent recommendation from a healthcare professional plays an important role in improving vaccination uptake.

Providers are strongly encouraged to offer all patients an influenza vaccine, which is a free to all NSW residents aged 6 months and over during the month of June.

Low childhood COVID-19 vaccine coverage rates in Canterbury-Bankstown LGA

The uptake of childhood COVID-19 vaccines in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA continues to be significantly below average with only 24.8% of children aged 5-11 in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA having received 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Practices in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA are strongly encouraged to download the AIR42A report to generate a list of children who are not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. Opportunistic co-administration of flu vaccine is also encouraged and is free for all patients until 30 June. Contact immunisation@cesphn.com.au for assistance.

Speaking to parents about vaccines for children

SKAI eLearning module was designed to help immunisation providers adapt their clinical communication skills to meet the needs of all parents, whether they are ready to vaccinate, have questions or intend to decline vaccination altogether. It equips providers with strategies to assist immunisation consultations with parents to maximise engagement and reduce vaccination hesitancy.

The module is recommended for General practitioners, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and Aboriginal health workers

Nuvaxovid (Novavax) – Vaccine shelf-life extension

The TGA has approved a shelf-life extension of Novavax (Nuvaxovid) from 6 months to 9 months from manufacture date, provided that approved storage conditions have been maintained. The shelf-life extension applies to all future batches and the following batch number:

COVID-19 booster dose information updates

Booster dose information has been updated to include people aged 12-15 years for the following resources:

• ATAGI flowchart: recommended COVID-19 doses and vaccines
• Consent form for COVID-19 vaccination
• ATAGI recommendations on the use of a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine
• Shared decision making guide for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning pregnancy
• Shared decision making guide for people receiving palliative care or end-of-life care
• Shared decision making guide for people with immunocompromise
• Provider guide to COVID-19 vaccination of people with immunocompromise
• Information on Comirnaty (Pfizer) COVID-19 vaccine and After your Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine

Immunisation news

Catch up on previous Immunisation Weekly Updates.