Immunisation Community of Practice

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

Shield yourself from shingles - Resources collection

This collection contains fact sheets, brochures, posters and a health professionals' kit about shingles vaccinations for eligible people.

Please use the link below for recipes to find people who are eligible for the Shingles vaccination

PenCS Shingles

A 2-dose course of Shingrix® is available on the NIP for:

• people aged 65 years and older
• First Nations people aged 50 years and older
• immunocompromised people aged 18 years and older with the following medical conditions:
  • haemopoietic stem cell transplant
  • solid organ transplant
  • haematological malignancy
  • advanced or untreated HIV

NSW Immunisation Schedule

The updated NSW Immunisation Schedule and FAQs are now live on the immunisation webpage.

Subscribe to stay up to date with the latest clinical and program guidance on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) to help you deliver immunisation services to your patients.

About the NIP updates

The updates provide the latest information to assist providers administer vaccines on the NIP, including:

• changes to the NIP schedule

• clinical advice, including ATAGI clinical statements

• annual influenza program communication

• Australian Immunisation Register information.

We publish influenza program updates annually, and as needed for other NIP updates.

Who they are for

Our updates are for health professionals who have a role in promoting and administering NIP funded vaccines, including:

• general practitioners

• nurses

• midwives

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and workers

• specialists

• pharmacists

• practice managers and administrators.

How to subscribe

To receive NIP updates by email simply complete our online subscribe form.

Subscribe to NIP updates

After completing the form, you will receive an email requesting confirmation. Click on the link in the email to confirm your subscription.

How to unsubscribe

If you no longer want to receive the NIP updates, you can unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of each email.

How to access old updates

Find previous updates in the NIP updates archive.

Privacy

See the privacy notice for this service.

From 1 November 2023, Shingrix® will replace Zostavax® on the National Immunisation Program and will be funded for everyone aged 65 years and over, First Nations people 50 years and over, and immunocompromised people 18 years and over at high risk of herpes zoster infection.

¹ National Immunisation Program - changes to shingles vaccination from 1 November 2023 | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Following a recent increase in enquires regarding Zostavax availability, the NSW Immunisation Unit have managed to secure a small additional supply of vaccine that allows an increase ordering volumes for eligible providers to support any additional demands following the pending inclusion of Shingrix to the NIP.