Immunisation

The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is a national register that records vaccines given to people of all ages in Australia.

The AIR can only accept immunisation information from recognised vaccination providers in Australia. This means the AIR cannot accept any information from parents.

Medical practitioners, midwives and nurse practitioners with a Medicare provider number are:

• automatically recognised as vaccination providers, and
• authorised to record or get immunisation data from the AIR

Practice Assist, through WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA), collaborates with the WA Immunisation Networks to develop strategies for continuing to improve awareness and uptake of vaccinations both in the community and in general practice. 

• Accessing the AIR as a delegate of a GP, midwife or nurse practitioner (Cheat Sheet)
• Registering a PRODA account and RA number (Cheat Sheet)
• Department of Human Services AIR eLearning modules
• Accessing the AIR using HPOS (Services Australia)
• Accessing the AIR using PRODA for individuals (Guide)
• Accessing the AIR using PRODA for Organisations (Guide)
• AIR: Recording and updating an encounter (Guide)
• Supporting and understanding delegations in HPOS to enable access to AIR (NCIRS) December 2020

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) aims to increase national immunisation coverage to help reduce diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.

The program provides free essential vaccines to protect eligible people against a range of diseases.

The program is an established collaborative program involving the Australian Government along with State and Territory Governments.

The Australian Government is responsible for National immunisation policy and the purchase of vaccines covered by the program.

The State and Territory Governments are responsible for coordination and oversight of immunisation service delivery and distribution of vaccines. 

• WA Immunisation Schedule
• The Digital Australian Immunisation Handbook
• AusVaxSafety (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance)
• Questions about vaccination (Department of Health)
• National Immunisation Program Pneumococcal vaccination schedule (Department of Health) July 2020 - Clinical decision tree for vaccination providers
• Immunisation enrolment requirements for child care services, kindergarten and schools (WA Department of Health)

An Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI) as described by the online Australian Immunisation Handbook is any negative reaction that follows vaccination. It does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the vaccine.

The adverse event may be any:

• unfavourable or unintended sign
• unfavourable or unintended symptom
• disease
• abnormal laboratory finding

These events may be caused by the vaccine(s) or may occur by chance (that is, the event would have occurred regardless of vaccination).

Mild events, such as fever, pain or redness at the site of injection, tiredness and aches and pains commonly occur after vaccination with some vaccines and should be anticipated.

Under the Public Health Act 2005, events following immunisation are a notifiable condition. It is very important that all AEFI are reported, particularly if serious or unexpected, as this will enable vaccine safety issues to be identified and managed appropriately as soon as possible.

Vaccination Administration Errors (VAEs) can occur due to errors in vaccine preparation, handling, storage or administration and can be associated with immunisation error-related reactions. Identification and follow-up of VAEs can identify and correct immunisation error-related reactions in a timely manner, and essential to ensuring the quality and safety of a vaccination service.

It is the responsibility of the immunisation provider to manage VAEs and should seek advice from their Public Health Unit if required. VAEs that result in a suspected adverse event following immunisation, must be reported to WA Department of Health.

• WA Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system

The cold chain is the system of transporting and storing vaccines within the safe temperature range of 2°C to 8°C. Vaccines can lose their effectiveness if stored outside this temperature range. Most  Vaccines are destroyed by freezing.

Responsibility for cold chain begins from the time the vaccine is manufactured, continues through to the state or territory vaccine distribution centres, and to each immunisation service provider, and ends when the vaccine is administered.

• The National Vaccine Storage Guidelines Strive for Five (3rd edition) (PDF)
• Vaccine Potency Checklist for Managing a Power Failure (Checklist)

• PneumoSmart Vaccination Tool (Immunisation Coalition) July 2020 – Pneumococcal vaccination eligibility decision tool
• Immunisation Education (WA Department of Health)
• SKAI (Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation) 
• Immunisation Foundation of Australia
• Immunisation Coalition
• NCIRS (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance)
• Royal Childrens hospital – Vaccination and needle phobia (fact sheet)
• Perth Childrens Hospital – Immunisation Service

• Immunisation – Back to Basics Webinar
• Immunisation – AIR Encounters and Reporting
• Immunisation – Overseas Encounters and Catch Up Plans
• Immunisation – Cold Chain Management
• Immunisation – WA Immunisation Schedule and Updates