With international borders open and eased social restrictions, we have seen an increase in cases of influenza, coinciding with a COVID-19 winter wave, making influenza and COVID-19 vaccination a priority over the coming months.
To help manage the winter outbreaks, we’re encouraging General Practitioners (GP), practice nurses, practice managers and reception staff to Ask the question, ‘Are you up to date with your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations?’
We know that vaccination is highly opportunistic, so we are providing health professionals with a resource pack to encourage you to ask the question.
Resource pack
- Monitor talkers and monitor strips - for the whole team to stick on their monitors, as a reminder to ask the question.
- Point of sale - letting patients know they can get their flu and COVID-19 vaccination at the same time.
- Reception scripts - to help the reception team to ask the question.
- Dispensary cards - to help clinical staff ask the question.
- Vaccination certificates - to help children feel brave and positive after receiving a vaccination.
Asking the question
When you speak to a patient, ask if they are up to date with their influenza and COVID-19 vaccination. If the answer is yes, that’s great. Check this against the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and move on.
If they say no, it’s a great time to engage in a conversation about the importance of influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations.
If they are still hesitant, that is ok, move on with the discussion.
Vaccination is the best protection against severe illness from influenza and COVID-19, and also helps to limit the impact these illnesses can have on our healthcare system.
- Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia
- Australian Medical Association Family Violence Toolkit for GPs
- Royal Australian Council of General Practice (RACGP) Clinical Practice Guidelines on Family and Intimate Partner Violence
- Violence Abuse and Neglect Services in the Far West Local Health District
- Far West Local Health District Child Protection Counselling Service
- Far West Local Health District Sexual Assault and Domestic Family Violence Service
- Far West Local Health District New Street Information Brochure
- Far West Local Health District New Street Information for Referrers
- Far West Local Health District Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Service Referral Form
- Immunisation – Australian Government Department of Health
- Free Catch up vaccinations for people with medical risk factors, refugees and humanitarian entrants (all ages)
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS)
- NSW Health Immunisation Programs
- School-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for children aged 12 to 13
Australian Immunisation Handbook
National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator
The National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator (NICC) is now available and is based on the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP) recommendations for Australian immunisation schedules.
The Calculator does not provide recommendations for individuals with Medical at Risk conditions where additional boosters may be recommended.
Users should always exercise their own independent skill or judgment or seek additional professional advice before relying on the information provided for clinical decision making.
The Calculator can be accessed via the Australian Immunisation Handbook website.
- National Vaccine Storage Guidelines: Strive for 5
- NSW Health Cold Chain Toolkit
- Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management
- Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management Policy
- Quality Auditing Reporting System (QARS)
- Vaccine Cooler Temperature Chart
- How to order vaccines online
- Receiving a vaccine delivery
Cold Chain Breach
- Isolate / quarantine vaccines – keep refrigerated and do not use
- Contact your local public health unit (PHU) on 1300 066 055
- Complete the Cold Chain Breach Reporting Form and email to PHU; include data logger readings and the chart of min/max monitoring (am & pm).
National Immunisation Program for all Indigenous people (NIP – funded vaccines) from 1 July 2020
ATAGI clinical advice on changes to vaccine recommendations and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 1 July 2020 (attached). Changes relate to:
- Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccine (Bexsero®)
- Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine (Nimenrix®)
- 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV, Prevenar 13®)
- 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (23vPPV, Pneumovax 23®)
PRODA AIR
- Australian immunisation register (AIR)
- AIR vaccination provider transition from authentication file to PRODA
- Sample Medicare provider call to action letter
- PRODA education for health professionals eLearning program
- AIR education for vaccination providers
- Enhancing data quality of vaccination encounters recorded in practice software and on AIR
Resources
- Managing anaphylaxis
- Avoiding shoulder injury related to vaccine administration
- Common side effects following immunisation for NIP Vaccines
- Save the Date to vaccinate app
- Questions about vaccination – answers to many common questions
- Australian Academy of Science 2016, The science of immunisation/Questions & Answers
Emergency Preparedness
- NSW Health 2020 Infectious disease alerts
- RACGP Practice Management – Emergencies and Pandemics fact sheets
- NSW Health Seasonal Influenza
- Pandemic Influenza Department of Health
Immunisation Education and CPD online modules
- HETI Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management online training module (certificate)
- NCIRS Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) e-learning module
- NCIRS for health professionals including Seminar / Webinar Series
- RACGP webinars
- The Australian Academy of Science – videos
- PRODA education for health professionals eLearning program
- AIR education for vaccination providers
- APNA Immunisation in the General Practice Setting (free for members)
- Online courses for immunisation service providers – Queensland Health
- Australian College of Nursing: Immunisation for Health Practitioners
- APNA An Orientation for Nurses New to General Practice (free for members)
Q Fever
- The Australian Immunisation Handbook Q Fever
- ACRRM GP Q fever online module
- The Australian Q Fever Register
Yellow Fever
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
- ACRRM GP Yellow fever vaccination course online module
- Department of Health
- National Guidelines for Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres and Providers
- NSW Health Update for yellow fever vaccination centres and providers
Tuberculosis
PIP Quality Improvement Measures
PEN CS Training Guide:
https://www.pencs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Pen-CS-PIP-QI-Training-Guide-2019-1.pdf
To be eligible to receive a PIP QI payment general practices must:
- be eligible to claim PIPs – be accredited or registered for accreditation
- register for the PIP QI Incentive through Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) from 1 August 2019
- electronically submit data to Western NSW Primary Health Network – WNSW PHN has elected to use PEN CAT tool for practices to submit data
- undertake continuous quality improvement activities in partnership with WNSW PHN
Improvement Measures – Influenza Immunisation PEN CS Recipes
- Proportion of patients aged 65 and over who were immunised against influenza
- Proportion of patients with diabetes who were immunised against influenza
- Proportion of patients with COPD who were immunised against influenza
PEN CS Webinars
- Rural Youth Mental Health service information and referral form
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
- Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA)
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
- Practice Nurse Incentive Program (PNIP)
- NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association
- Australian College of Nursing
- Medicare – Department of Human Services
- Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Online
- Keep Them Safe – A Shared Approach to Child Wellbeing
- Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM)