Immunisation Community of Practice

The Australian Government has responded to unprecedented demand for the Shingrix vaccine, with over 487,000 doses administered within the initial three months of the program. As concerns arise over accessibility due to the surge in demand, officials assure the public that efforts are underway to ensure timely access for eligible Australians. With approximately half a million doses currently available nationwide and an additional 100,000 doses set for distribution in the coming fortnight, collaboration between federal, state, and territory governments, along with vaccine supplier GSK, aims to manage distribution equitably.

The recent transition from Zostavax to Shingrix under the National Immunisation Program has necessitated adjustments, but health authorities stress that vaccination remains a crucial preventive measure against shingles. Eligible individuals, including those over 65, First Nations people over 50, and immunocompromised individuals, are encouraged to engage with their local healthcare providers for scheduling.

More information is available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

The new AIR043A – Vaccine Details report is available for vaccination providers through the AIR site. Vaccination providers can use this report to extract and reconcile vaccination information that they have previously reported to the AIR. The report contains information about the individual they have vaccinated and the relevant vaccine details (such as vaccine brand, vaccine type and route of administration).

Pharmacies participating in the National Immunisation Program Vaccinations in Pharmacies (NIPVIP) Program may find this report useful for reconciling vaccinations provided when lodging claims for payment with the Pharmacy Programs Administrator. Further information about the AIR043A report is available on the Services Australia website.

From 1 March 2024, the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) will have new mandatory reporting requirements. This will improve the data currently held.

1. Vaccine Type

Under the ‘vaccine type’ field, providers will be able to choose from 4 vaccine types:

• Antenatal
• NIP/Commonwealth
• Private, or
• State Program.

Only one option can be selected under the ‘vaccine type’ field.

The Antenatal option should be selected when the person presenting is pregnant at the time the vaccine is administered, regardless of whether the vaccine is funded privately, under the NIP or a state and territory program. COVID-19 vaccines should be reported as NIP/Commonwealth.

2. Route of administration

The ‘route of administration’ field will only be mandatory for Japanese encephalitis vaccines. Under the ‘route of administration’ field, providers will be able to choose from: Oral, Subcutaneous, Intradermal, or Intramuscular.

Bp Premier

The AIR mandatory changes were included in the current version of Bp Premier, Orchid SP1 Revision 1. Upgrade now to minimise the risk of implications to your practice and patients.

MedicalDirector Clinical

Availability of these reporting fields in MedicalDirector software will be reflected in Clinical version 4.3, which is available from 14 February 2024.

Sites are encouraged to utilise all opportunities to vaccinate eligible patients – if a patient is eligible and requires a COVID-19 vaccine, do not delay, open a vial, and vaccinate them.

Wastage of vaccine is an inevitable part of the COVID-19 program and there are no penalties for sites should wastage occur as we transition to a more opportunistic model of vaccination.

Vaccine wastage is required to be recorded via weekly stock management reports.

Excess COVID-19 vaccines?

Practices with an oversupply of COVID-19 vaccine stock on hand are encouraged to contact HNECCPHN via email at vaccine@thephn.com.au to help facilitate transfer to practices to who require additional supply. Include details on vaccine brand, excess quantity and defrost expiry date.

The Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee (AIVC) has recommended the composition of the influenza vaccines for Australia in 2024 following review and evaluation of epidemiology, antigenic and genetic data of recent influenza viruses circulating in Australia and the southern hemisphere.

Further information is available on the TGA website.

Egg-based quadrivalent influenza vaccines AIVC recommendations:

• an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus; NEW
• an A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; NEW
• a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus; and
• a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

Cell- or recombinant-based quadrivalent influenza vaccines AIVC recommendations:

• an A/Wisconsin/67/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus; NEW
• an A/Massachusetts/18/2022 (H3N2)-like virus; NEW
• a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus; and
• a B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata lineage)-like virus.

Resources on the 2024 influenza vaccination will be available ahead of the influenza vaccination program on the NSW Health website. Advice on when and how to order 2024 NIP influenza vaccines will be circulated in February 2024.

The current formulations of influenza vaccine that are available to order from the State Vaccine Centre (SVC) are 2023 influenza vaccines.

Please note the following expiration dates for 2023 influenza vaccines:

• Vaxigrip Tetra: Expired on 31/12/2023 – DISCARD.
• Fluarix Tetra: Expiring 29/02/2024 – monitor expiration date.
• Afluria Quad: Expiring 29/02/2024 – monitor expiration date.
• Fluad Quad: Expiring between 15/02/2024 and 17/02/2024 – monitor expiration date.

Novavax ancestral formulation is no longer available to order from CVAS and current supply is close to expiry with last doses expiring Wednesday 31 January 2024.

Providers are encouraged to recall any patients who are unable to have mRNA vaccines and have not received their recommended COVID-19 vaccinations before 31 January 2024 to receive a Novavax vaccine.

A new Novavax XBB.1.5 formulation (Nuvaxovid) is currently under regulatory review and is expected to be available in time for the 2024 autumn respiratory season.

A new National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) report has uncovered a concerning downward trend in fully vaccinated coverage among Australian children since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2022 is the first study of its kind to thoroughly examine the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccination coverage in children, adolescents and adults across Australia.

Fully vaccinated coverage in children was measured at three standard age assessment milestones – 12 months (for vaccines due at 6 months), 24 months (for vaccines due at 6, 12 and 18 months) and 60 months (for vaccines due at 4 years).

Between 2021 and 2022, fully vaccinated coverage in children overall decreased:

• from 94.2% to 93.3% at 12 months
• from 92.1% to 91.0% at 24 months
• from 94.0% to 93.4% at 60 months.

Declines in fully vaccinated coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were greater than in children overall – specifically:

• from 91.6% to 90.0% at 12 months
• from 90.1% to 87.9% at 24 months
• from 96.3% to 95.1% at 60 months.

These larger decreases in coverage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children – particularly those in remote areas – highlight the differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to improve the timeliness of routine and catch-up vaccinations.

Improving on-time and catch-up vaccinations is a key pillar of the national goal to meet and exceed Australia’s immunisation coverage target of 95%.

Although vaccination coverage in Australia is relatively high by global standards, childhood immunisation rates have continued to decline in the first half of 2023, underscoring the need for enhanced strategies to increase uptake and protect more children from vaccine preventable diseases.

The full and summary versions of this report, as well as the accompanying NCIRS media release, can be accessed via the links below:

Media release

Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2022 – Summary

Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2022

Please place all orders on the the NSW State Vaccine Centre online web page

Orders must be made online. Orders that are sent by Email or fax will no longer be accepted.

The State Vaccine Centre will be accepting vaccine orders until midday Tuesday 19^th December to be dispatched Wednesday 20^th December. Routine deliveries will recommence on Tuesday 2^nd January 2024.

Please do not order excessive stock over this period to avoid vaccine wastages in the event of unexpected power outages.

The end of the year is fast approaching, which means a lot of Australians are travelling overseas. While we have high levels of vaccination coverage, we can still get exposed to serious diseases while visiting other countries.

Before heading overseas these holidays, we are asking Australians to add vaccinations to their travel checklist. This means:

• checking their vaccination status online through MyGov or the Express Plus Medicare mobile app
• checking Smartraveller if they need any vaccines for their destination, and
• booking a vaccination appointment before they leave.

By vaccinating we can protect ourselves, children and the community from serious diseases that are not common in Australia.

The National Immunisation Program also provides free vaccinations for children from birth to age 4. Making sure our children are up-to-date and getting vaccinated according to the schedule means they are protected from viruses and diseases that are present in other countries.

As health professionals, you can encourage your patients ahead of travelling to get vaccinated and recommend vaccines for their overseas destinations. You can use the Smartraveller.gov.au website to guide your advice and help your patients stay safe this holiday period.

For more information visit www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/when-to-get-vaccinated/immunisation-for-travel