Media surveillance may combat vax myths
A GLOBAL media surveillance system has been developed by international experts in an attempt to stop the spread of misinformation about vaccines.
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vaccination
The following articles have the tag vaccination
Make kids’ vax records compulsory
PARENTS could be forced to show schools documentation of their children’s vaccination history, as Health Minister Tanya Plibersek calls for a nationally consistent policy on vaccination.
Non-vax kids may be banned from childcare
A MOVE to ban unvaccinated children from NSW preschools and childcare centres is not about discriminating against the children of vaccine refusers, the state opposition says.
Govt wants vaccination documentation before kids start school
PARENTS could be forced to show schools documentation of their children’s vaccination history, as Health Minister Tanya Plibersek calls for a nationally consistent policy on immunisation.
Measles case in Qld sparks statewide alert
A MEASLES alert has been issued in Queensland after a mine worker was diagnosed with the virus.
Call to remove Fluvax from GPs’ fridges
A PUBLIC health expert has called for all stocks of CSL’s Fluvax to be removed from the fridges of GP practices involved in vaccinating children.
Pregnant women swayed by health workers on flu vax
PREGNANT women are significantly more likely to have the influenza vaccine if a healthcare worker recommends it to them, research suggests.
Flu vaccines need more scrutiny to keep public trust
LESSONS must be learnt from the regulatory history of Fluvax to ensure the long-term success of paediatric influenza vaccination programs, experts insist.
Pertussis vax to protect earlier
THE timing of pertussis vaccination in infants and children has been moved forward to minimise the risk of infection, according to the latest Australian Immunisation Handbook.
Infant pertussis vaccine moved forward
THE timing of pertussis vaccination in infants and children has been moved forward to minimise infection, according to the latest Australian Immunisation Handbook released today.
Pertussis cocooning is effective
BABIES whose mothers have been immunised against pertussis during or before pregnancy appear to be protected against infection via placental transfer of maternal antibodies, experts say.
Pre-pregnancy pertussis vaccination most effective: study
VACCINATING women before pregnancy could have the greatest impact on preventing pertussis infection in babies, a much-anticipated study of the cocooning strategy has suggested.
ACCC launches action against homeopathy site
THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched Federal Court proceedings against owners of a website warning of the so-called health dangers of vaccination.
ACCC launches action against homeopathic website
THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched Federal Court proceedings against owners of a website warning of the so-called health dangers of vaccination.
Incompetency claim thrown out by tribunal
THE Medical Board of Australia (MBA) says it will “consider the implications”, after a GP who congratulated a patient for refusing to vaccinate her child avoided disciplining by a tribunal - despite the MBA’s push for a finding of incompetency.
Alert on possible measles exposure in Queensland
QUEENSLAND Health is warning that residents of Brisbane and Mount Isa may have been exposed to measles early this month.
Nine now dead in bloody attacks on UN health workers
THE death toll from a string of attacks on polio vaccination teams in Pakistan this week rose to nine on Thursday, as a wounded health worker succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Death toll rises to 8 UN health workers in Pakistan
GUNMEN have shot dead a woman working on UN-backed polio vaccination efforts and her driver in northwestern Pakistan, officials say, raising to eight the number of people killed in the last 48 hours who were part of the immunisation drive.
Taliban kills six health workers in Pakistan
GUNMEN in Pakistan have killed six health workers at the start of a nationwide polio vaccination drive, highlighting resistance to a campaign opposed by the Taliban.
National pertussis cocooning vaccination approach lacking
THE tragic death of a Queensland infant from pertussis has highlighted the lack of a national approach to booster vaccination for family members.
Booklet to combat vaccination myths
DANGEROUS misinformation being circulated about immunisation has prompted the development of a reference booklet that GPs can use during difficult consultations with conscientious objectors.
Study backs pertussis vax in late stage of pregnancy
THE first study of its kind to evaluate pertussis immunisation strategies among US women backs vaccination late in pregnancy to protect infants.
HPV vax uptake poor in older women
RATES of HPV vaccination among women aged 27–45 are low at 1.9%, with GPs expressing reservations about immunising this age group, Australian research has found.
Aussie travellers ignoring rabies risks
AUSTRALIAN tourists going to rabies-endemic countries either do not understand or ignore the risks of deliberate interactions with animals, a report suggests.
Australia lags behind on antenatal pertussis vax
A STRONG national recommendation on vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis would benefit Australia, according to experts, as the UK moves to implement a temporary program.
Worst measles outbreak in 10 years hits NSW
NSW is in the midst of the worst outbreak of measles in a decade with 124 cases reported so far this year.
350,000 Pakistani children at risk as polio immunisation halted
PAKISTAN has postponed a polio immunisation campaign in parts of its tribal belt, jeopardising the health of more than 350,000 children after the Taliban banned inoculations.
Anti-vax group under fire as ‘duplicitous’
THE Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) has rejected suggestions that its name is “duplicitous” and should be changed, after a major health professional body advertised one of its seminars before learning it was considered an anti-vaccination lobby.
Universal HPV vax may stymie growth in head and neck cancers
AUSTRALIA’S world-first decision to extend funding of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine to boys will boost protection for girls and reduce the growing burden of head and neck cancers, experts say.
Anti-vax lobby rejects AMA call for name change
The Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) has rejected suggestions that its title is “duplicitous” and should be changed after a major health professional body advertised one of its seminars before learning it was considered an anti-vaccination lobby.
Insufficient supply of zoster vaccine until 2014: CSL
IMMUNISERS are keen to access the herpes zoster vaccine but it will be 2014 before there is sufficient supply to maintain a national program, CSL says.
Cocooning program abandoned as pertussis epidemic wanes
AS AUSTRALIA winds back its pertussis cocooning program, NSW Health will now offer free vaccination for new mothers only, while most other states cease to offer any parent/carer protection.
Plea to continue pertussis booster program
STATE governments should consider maintaining free pertussis booster programs for new parents until clinical data on other potential vaccination strategies are available, the AMA says.
Grants available for ideas to improve immunisation
IMMUNISATION providers are invited to submit proposals in a new competitive grants award program for improving aspects of vaccination.
Circumcision may be cut from MBS
THE government will consider removing circumcision from the MBS as part of a planned review of paediatric surgery, in a move certain to be opposed by proponents who compare the ethics and practice of infant male circumcision to childhood vaccination.
Febrile seizures rare with measles-containing vaccines
A LARGE US study has found no link between administration of measles-containing vaccines and febrile seizures in children aged 4–6 years.
Homeopathic website claims defy TGA
A HOMEOPATHY website that claims its products are alternatives to vaccination has for six months operated in defiance of orders to comply with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising (TGA) Code.
Push intensifies for no-fault vaccination compensation
PUBLIC health experts are ramping up calls for a no-fault compensation scheme to assist Australian families affected by “very rare” adverse reactions to childhood immunisations.
HPV vax improves attitude to safe sex
AUSTRALIAN research has countered the view that vaccinating young women against human papillomavirus (HPV) could encourage risky sexual behaviour.
New pertussis strain responsible for Australian epidemic: experts
A NEW dominant strain of the Bordetella pertussis bacterium may be driving Australia’s epidemic of infection, experts have warned.
Australian flu vax not ‘out of date’ despite WHO tweaks
THE seasonal flu vaccine made for this Australian winter is not out of date, GPs are being assured, despite the WHO’s recent ‘tweaking’ of the strains that will be targeted in the northern hemisphere.
Pertussis vax in pregnancy may become routine
AUSTRALIAN immunisation experts are considering following the US move to recommend routine vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis.
Doctors' belief in efficacy motivates flu jab uptake
DOCTORS are more likely than nurses to be vaccinated against influenza, according to findings from a meta-analysis of studies of healthcare workers (HCW) in Australia and other developed countries.
AVN wins case against HCCC ruling
THE Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) overstepped its powers when it ordered the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) to post a warning on its website, the NSW Supreme Court has ruled.
Mandatory flu vax proposed for healthcare workers
GPs already rank among Australia’s best healthcare workers when it comes to getting their flu vaccinations – but for some their voluntary annual jabs could become mandatory under a proposal for stricter immunisation rules.
No increased IS risk from rotavirus vaccines
THE largest prospective study of its kind has found no increased risk of intussusception (IS) linked to currently marketed rotavirus vaccines.
Fluvax still restricted for kids
FLUVAX is again missing from the list of seasonal influenza vaccines approved for use in children as young as six months.
Oral HPV infection more likely in men
MEN are three times as likely as women to have an oral infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), according to the first major prevalence study in the US.
Anti-vax views ‘nonsense’: Health Minister
QUEENSLAND Health Minister Geoff Wilson has rubbished the views of Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) president Meryl Dorey, but defended her right to speak at the Woodford Folk Festival on the Gold Coast later this month.
Don’t force flu vax on health workers: experts
POOR uptake of influenza vaccination by healthcare workers needs improvement but making it compulsory is not the answer, Australian experts say in a letter to The Lancet.
Anti-vax advocates continue battle against HCCC
THE Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) continued its challenge in the NSW Supreme Court today against a NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) direction that it should place a notice on its website warning consumers not to read information on the site as medical advice. Former AVN president Meryl Dorey finished giving evidence, and the matter has now been held over for a directions hearing on 6 September, and will be listed for further hearing after that date. The AVN launched a legal challenge last year arguing the HCCC had no authority to order the ...
Vaccine in pregnancy may prevent pertussis deaths
Vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis may emerge as the most effective response to the recent epidemic, says a leading immunisation expert. Professor Peter McIntyre, director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance (NCIRS), said more research was needed to evaluate cocooning strategies, including immunising pregnant women as recommended this year by the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “The main issue is, would pregnant women go along with it … and that usually comes down to what their obstetrician or GP recommends,” Professor McIntyre said. “The lack of success at getting women ...
Cervical abnormalities fall after HPV vaccine program
HIGH-GRADE cervical abnormalities (HGA) have nearly halved in Victorian girls younger than 18 years since the introduction of the HPV vaccination program, a study shows. The world’s first analysis of changes in incidence of precancerous cervical lesions in the wake of a population-wide program of HPV vaccination showed the decrease was progressive and linear in this age group, lead author Dr Julia Brotherton said. Dr Brotherton, from the Victorian Cytology Service Registry, found HGA incidence declined by 0.38% in the youngest vaccinated cohort shortly after the introduction of the vaccination program, compared to an incidence of 0.85% ...
Egg-cultured vaccines review for allergic kids
THE Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will conduct a “full review” of the evidence on administering egg-cultured vaccines to children with egg allergy. ATAGI chair Professor Terry Nolan said this would take in studies that underpin recent guidelines issued by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), which say most allergic children can safely tolerate an egg-cultured vaccine. The issue was under consideration by ATAGI in preparation for the next Australian Immunisation Handbook , due in 2012, Professor Nolan said. “Split doses are quite problematic from the evidence point of view, ...
Cervical abnormalities fall after HPV vaccine program
HIGH-GRADE cervical abnormalities (HGA) have nearly halved in Victorian girls younger than 18 years since the introduction of the HPV vaccination program, a study shows. The world’s first analysis of changes in incidence of precancerous cervical lesions in the wake of a population-wide program of HPV vaccination showed the decrease was progressive and linear in this age group, lead author Dr Julia Brotherton said. Dr Brotherton, from the Victorian Cytology Service Registry, found HGA incidence declined by 0.38% in the youngest vaccinated cohort shortly after the introduction of the vaccination program, compared to an incidence of 0.85% ...
Vaccination concerns hampering US doctors
ONE in five primary care physicians in the United States is now battling parental concern over vaccination, typically requests to have vaccines ‘spaced out’ rather than administered simultaneously. Vaccine safety concerns and the time constraints of visits were hampering the ability of US doctors to deliver immunisation, researchers say. In a survey, 90% of doctors reported at least one vaccine refusal per month, compared with a study five years earlier in which 60% reported at least one parental vaccine refusal in the previous year. The number of recommended childhood vaccines had risen from 13–16 separate administrations ...
Cervical cancer vaccination rates are missing targets
THE first official figures on the uptake of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine under the National Immunisation Program confirm many girls are failing to complete the three-dose course. Figures released by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing show 83% of girls aged 12–13 years in 2007 had received their first dose of Gardasil by December 2009, but this fell to 80% for the second dose and 73% for the third dose. A similar mild drop-off was seen in 14–15 and 16–17 year olds offered catch-up immunisation. Cancer Council Australia spokesperson Kate Broun called for more up-to-date ...
TGA warns against second dose of Pneumovax 23
GPs are urged to not administer a second dose of Pneumovax 23 to any patient, as the TGA investigates a surge in adverse reactions to the vaccine. The TGA has received 178 adverse reaction reports for the vaccine so far this year, to 14 April. That was about three times the number recorded over the same period last year (63 adverse reactions) and a fivefold increase over 2009 (34). The Merck Sharp & Dohme-manufactured vaccine is provided under the National Immunisation Program for those people older than 65 years, Indigenous Australians over 50, smokers and those ...
Rare disease cases rising after foreign travel
THE arbovirus chikungunya is an increasing threat to Australian travellers, researchers say, following a cluster of cases in a touring women's rugby team. The Northern Territory Health Department has reported the cluster in a group of 16 Indigenous rugby players who competed in a sevens competition in Bali. Eleven players reported symptoms consistent with arboviral illness including fever and arthralgia, with seven fulfilling the national case definition following testing. The Communicable Disease Control Conference in Canberra is due to hear tomorrow that chikungunya - transmitted by some species of Aedes mosquitos - is on the rise ...
Distracted schoolgirls make better vax patients
SCHOOLGIRLS waiting for immunisation should be allowed distractions such as listening to iPods, say Australian researchers who witnessed sobbing, screaming and fainting on school vaccination days. Mass vaccination with the quadrivalent HPV vaccine under the National Immunisation Program posed challenges in school settings due to the "intense fear response" from adolescent girls, the researchers said. After interviews with 130 school girls, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, as well as parents, teachers and nurses, the researchers found long waits and witnessing other girls' vaccinations allowed fears to build, so that the atmosphere was much worse at the end of ...
Whooping cough vax rates in adults concerning
FEW Australian adults have had a booster dose of whooping cough vaccine, according to new research, despite the recent epidemic. An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) vaccination survey showed that only one in nine Australians aged 18 years and over had ever received a pertussis vaccination as an adult or adolescent. However, 45% of those vaccinations had been received during 2009. Pertussis vaccine coverage was 43% among the 'at-risk' group, which included parents of young infants, adults working with young children and healthcare workers. Adult vaccination against whooping cough varied widely among the ...
Whooping cough claims another infant
ANOTHER baby has died from whooping cough as the epidemic continues, leading to renewed calls for parents and carers to be vaccinated. A spokesperson for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne said a newborn had been transferred to the hospital on Monday and was later diagnosed with whooping cough. "The baby was provided appropriate care but sadly died later that day," the spokesperson said. The hospital said appropriate follow-up and infection control measures had been taken as a result of the case. "It is important that new parents take advantage of the free whooping cough ...
Shingles recurrences may be more common than previously recorded
RECURRENT episodes of shingles in immunocompetent patients may be more common than previously reported, researchers say. Findings of a US population-based study suggest herpes zoster vaccination should be offered to all patients after a herpes zoster (HZ) bout to prevent further episodes. The study of nearly 1700 people with HZ found a 5.7% recurrence rate in immunocompetent patients, and 6.2% in all patients, after eight years’ follow-up. HZ recurrences were almost three times more likely in patients with zoster-associated pain of 30 days or more during the initial episode and twice as likely in immunocompromised patients, ...
Shingles recurrences more frequent than first reported
RECURRENT episodes of shingles in immunocompetent patients may be more common than previously reported, researchers say. Findings of a US population-based study suggest herpes zoster vaccination should be offered to all patients after a herpes zoster bout to prevent further episodes. The study of nearly 1700 people with HZ found a 5.7% recurrence rate in immunocompetent patients, and 6.2% in all patients, after eight years’ follow-up. Recurrent HZ episodes were similar to initial HZ episodes in the same population, after adjusting for age and sex, they said. HZ recurrences were almost three times more likely ...
Pertussis rising in vaccinated children
AS pertussis cases continue to mount around Australia, the disease is being increasingly seen in immunised primary school-age children, experts say. NSW Health recently alerted GPs that babies were at risk from older siblings whose immunity from vaccination may have waned, and warned pertussis “can occur in fully vaccinated children”. Notifiable diseases data shows Australia has recorded more than 24,000 pertussis cases to date this year, compared to 29,000 last year. However, Professor Peter McIntyre, director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, said while Australia appeared to be “swimming in pertussis”, the high ...
Anti-vaccination lobby’s fundraising authority revoked
AUSTRALIA'S most vocal anti-vaccination lobby has been delivered a heavy blow, northern NSW GP and rural health advocate Dr Sue Page says. The Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) was stripped of its charity status yesterday after a NSW Government investigation found it had breached fundraising laws and potentially misled the public. While health professionals had tried to counter the AVN’s misinformation with evidence-based advice, in the end it was a group of people from diverse backgrounds who collaborated in the Stop the AVN (SAVN) group that exposed the group’s modi operandi . “As a clinician I ...
GP advice swayed many patients to get swine flu vax
DOCTOR advice was one of the main reasons people chose to get vaccinated against swine flu, particularly for elderly Australians, a survey shows. Among people who took up the offer of free vaccine, most did so because they believed the threat of the flu was serious (24.7%) or it was offered at work (13.7 per cent). Doctor advice was the most compelling reason among the elderly, cited by 37.8% of those older than 65 years, and also influenced nearly one in 10 people aged 18 to 64 years. A survey by the Australian Institute of Health ...
New advice to screen for hep D in hep B cases
MORE testing for hepatitis D is needed with rising numbers of immigrants from endemiccountries likely at risk, doctors say. Dr Bella Shadur and Dr Ben Cowie, from Royal Children’s Hospital and Royal Melbourne Hospital respectively, said the Australian epidemiology of the infection was changing. Vaccination against hepatitis B was also likely contributing to epidemiological changes. “We are recommending all people with hepatitis B be screened for hepatitis D,” Dr Shadur said. Dr Shadur told the conference that increased testing would lead to more targeted patient management, be a likely catalyst for behaviour changes, and contribute ...
Flu vaccine split-dose safe in egg-allergic kids
MOST egg-allergic children can be safely vaccinated against influenza, according to new allergy guidelines that contrast with existing Australian advice. Dr Ray Mullins, president of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), said the body of current evidence suggested a strict split-dose protocol would permit safe vaccination. While egg anaphylaxis was until recently considered an absolute contraindication to influenza vaccination, because the vaccine was grown in eggs, this was based on decades-old studies, he said. “The amount of egg protein present in modern vaccines as opposed to old ones is very tiny, ...
Adverse vaccine events prompt push for no-fault compensation
ADVERSE reactions to this year’s seasonal flu vaccine, including a case with possible long-term consequences, have spurred a call for a no-fault vaccination compensation scheme for Australia. GPs and infectious diseases specialists at the recent Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) immunisation conference called for a scheme to be part of the new National Immunisation Strategy. Conference delegates were told that rare cases in which vaccination adverse events led to long-term consequences, including one case from the now-withdrawn 2010 flu vaccine, were worthy of community support. “The thrust of debate was that on those rare occasions ...
Campaign on vaccine safety needed
THE AMA has called for a public education campaign to counter misinformation about vaccines as part of a planned National Immunisation Strategy. AMA vice-president Dr Steve Hambleton said the strategy, being developed by the Federal Health Department, would be a “critical vehicle” for promoting evidence-based, best practice immunisation. It should address the need for whole-of-life immunisation records, support GPs, and include a public relations plan to educate the population about the devastating effects of vaccine-preventable diseases, he said. Health Department officials are due to address a Public Health Association of Australia immunisation conference in Adelaide this ...
Anti-vaccination group taken to task by complaints commission
A PROMINENT anti-vaccination lobby misleads the public and inappropriately criticises GPs on its website, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) has ruled. The commission said the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) also “quotes selectively from research to suggest that vaccination may be dangerous”. The AVN was investigated by the commission following a complaint by the parents of a baby, Dana McCaffery, who died from pertussis last year, and a separate one from an anti-AVN campaigner, Ken McLeod. The HCCC has advised the AVN to make it clear on its website that its purpose is to provide ...
Anti-vaccination group slates GPs
A PROMINENT anti-vaccination lobby has been accused of misleading the public and inappropriately criticising GPs by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission. The commission said the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) “quotes selectively from research to suggest that vaccination may be dangerous”. The AVN has been given 14 days to comply with a recommendation from the commission to include an appropriate statement on its website stating that its purpose is to provide information against vaccination and information provided should not be read as medical advice. However, the only sanction against non-compliance is for the commission to issue ...
The flu vax fallout:Making sure you’re covered
MDOs are reminding practitioners of their reporting duties, and to ensure patients make informed decisions on seasonal flu vaccinations, following a number of serious adverse reactions.
Multi-dose vial vaccine risk debate reignites
CONCERNS over the infection risk posed by the use of multidose vials (MDV) to deliver swine flu vaccine are being exaggerated, experts say. Dr Greg Rowles, AGPN immunisation representative, has taken outspoken specialist Professor Peter Collignon to task over a recent editorial where he said the use of MDV was “a needless additional risk” for the mass vaccination campaign. “In the past, many infections such as Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B and HIV” had been caused by vaccination programs using MDV, Professor Collignon wrote in Australian Prescriber. But Dr Rowles said there were few cases of infection ...
Swine flu: still a looming threat?
Was the threat of swine flu over-estimated, and do we really need to vaccinate everyone now? Rada Rouse reports. HYPE or hoax? Whatever the swine flu pandemic was, a lot of people believe it was never a deadly threat. Earlier this year, the chair of the Council of Europe’s health committee, Dr Wolfgang Wodarg, forced an inquiry into the continent’s multibillion dollar expenditure on swine flu vaccine, saying governments had been hoodwinked by pharmaceutical companies wanting to make big bucks. Worse, he accused the WHO of being in cahoots with Big Pharma ...
H1N1 vigilance vital in pregnancy
NEW swine flu research has underlined the importance of prompt treatment and timely vaccination of pregnant women, experts say. A study of 211 pregnant women with H1N1 presenting to a Singapore hospital showed admission was more likely with comorbidities or breathlessness. Nine developed complications, including first trimester miscarriage and premature labour. The researchers said the study suggested that the effects of swine flu infection in the cohort were overall “relatively benign”, but they attributed this to early presentation, diagnosis and treatment. Most of these women received oseltamivir within 48 hours. However, in a study ...
Post-exposure prophylaxis prevents cases of chickenpox
Varicella vaccination up to five days after exposure to the virus can effectively prevent and ameliorate chickenpox in both adults and children, a study confirms. Until now advice for postexposure prophylaxis has been based mainly on studies with experimental vaccines or in children only, said the authors of the Spanish study. Their research was one of the first to assess the current commercially available vaccines, which have different formulations and lower antigenic content. The authors found the vaccine effectiveness in preventing varicella postexposure was 62.3% but the vaccine was highly effective in attenuating the severity of ...
Routine paracetamol use may affect infant vax response
PARENTS should be discouraged from routinely administering paracetamol following infant immunisation, in light of trial findings suggesting it may interfere with the immunogenicity of several vaccines in the schedule. Researchers have found that babies’ antibody responses are reduced with early administration of paracetamol, and it also has no effect on the occurrence of high fever. Experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the surprising findings presented a “compelling case” against routine use of the antipyretic. Sydney paediatrician Dr Nick Wood said the findings backed current national guidelines advising against routine prophylactic use ...
GPs face pressure test with swine flu vax rollout
GPs will be under pressure as Australia’s biggest mass vaccination campaign rolls out over the next three months, Health Minister Nicola Roxon has acknowledged. Practices may have to hold dedicated flu clinics to cope with the demand as five million doses of Panvax H1N1 are distributed in a bid to vaccinate a third of the population as fast as possible, GP spokesmen said. Another two million doses a month will be released by the manufacturer, CSL, up to January. “I think [the rollout] will put pressure on – significantly – on GPs,” Ms Roxon told journalists ...
Experts promote safety of swine flu vaccine
AUSTRALIA may face a second wave of pandemic swine flu due to travellers coming back from the Northern Hemisphere winter, health authorities warn. Chief medical officer Professor Jim Bishop urged GPs to start vaccinating vulnerable groups this week when the first batches of Panvax became available. “We may face a major out-of-season influenza outbreak due to importation of the virus back into Australia from infected travellers from the large number of new cases now expected in the Northern Hemisphere,” he said, adding that the virus might also mutate and become more virulent. Federal Health Minister Nicola ...
Insurers play down indemnity fears over H1N1 vax
MEDICAL defence organisations (MDOs) are reassuring GPs they will have medico-legal protection when the Federal Government’s swine flu vaccination program rolls out later this month. However, a leading immunisation expert is still urging GPs to exercise caution, noting the H1N1 vaccine has yet to be licensed. The moves follow media reports that MDOs were debating their position amid fears the H1N1 vaccine had been inadequately tested, and its distribution in multi-dose vials could potentially expose patients to blood-borne cross-infection. MDA National president Associate Professor Julian Rait confirmed on national radio it would cover GPs administering the ...
Staff should sign mandatory flu declaration: experts
AUSTRALIAN influenza experts are calling for staff who refuse the influenza vaccination to sign a mandatory declaration stating why. The Influenza Specialist Group wants healthcare staff, including receptionists, to sign the declaration in an effort to improve low vaccination rates among health workers. Group chair Dr Alan Hampson (Hon MD) said such a move would prompt the need for staff education about the relative benefits and risks of influenza vaccination, including duty of care. “It also requires direct care staff to make an active choice about vaccination, and enables effective record keeping of staff vaccination,” he ...
Govt stands firm on multi-dose vials for swine flu vaccine
THE Federal Government is adamant that multi-dose vials will be used when swine flu vaccination rolls out, despite criticism from infectious disease specialists. Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Jim Bishop said vaccination providers would be trained in the use of the vials to maximise infection control and minimise wastage. “General practice peak bodies are comfortable and believe the GP workforce is competent with the use of multi-dose vials,” he said. Professor Bishop was responding to concerns raised by the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) that multi-dose vials put patients at risk of blood-borne and viral ...
GP groups at odds over funding for swine flu vax scheme
LEADING GP groups hold differing views about the most efficient way to fund Australia’s massive swine flu vaccination program, which will see up to 21 million doses of the new vaccine administered. AGPN chair Dr Emil Djakic proposed the existing fee-for-service funding system should be scrapped for the program in favour of a more flexible model that would see doctors receive block payments for undertaking the work. However, the move received a cool response from the RACGP, with president Dr Chris Mitchell arguing there was not enough time to negotiate such a system before vaccinations started in ...
Swine flu antiviral prophylaxis not advised
IT would be premature to recommend taking neuraminidase inhibitors for swine flu prophylactically, leading researcher Professor Robert Booy says. However, should a pandemic be declared, it was reassuring that the US Centers for Disease Control had found the drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir to be sensitive to the swine influenza A/H1N1. Professor Booy, co-director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Sydney, said people might want to take a supply of the drugs with them in case they got the flu overseas, but taking it prophylactically “every day for a month’s holiday” would be costly and ...
Study supports free child flu vaccination
MOMENTUM is building for the inclusion of paediatric influenza vaccinations on the National Immunisation Program (NIP), with new data showing free flu vaccinations have dramatically reduced paediatric influenza hospitalisations. Results from the 2008 Western Australian Paediatric Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Study have coincided with the release of data showing that the national burden of influenza in children younger than two years is now seven times higher than in the elderly. The WA study is Australia’s first trial program of universal paediatric immunisation against influenza. Dr Gary Dowse, WA acting director of communicable disease control, said the findings ...
Concern over med students’ ‘unacceptable’ disease immunity
MANDATORY screening and vaccination programs should be set up throughout Australia’s medical schools to combat “unacceptable” levels of immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases among medical students, according to academics. The call follows a NSW study that revealed some students had undiagnosed blood-borne virus infections and many were not immune to diseases that required a simple vaccine. Of the 733 study participants, one third were not immune to hepatitis B, 33% to mumps, 26% to measles, 13% to rubella and 10% to varicella. Four were positive for HBsAg and four had hepatitis C antibodies. About 23% of students ...
When the state steps in
Do parents have the final word on the best medical treatment for their children? Lynnette Hoffman reports. IN August, measles cases in the US reached their highest levels in more than a decade. Nearly half the cases involved children whose parents had rejected the vaccination, often because of fears it could lead to autism. While no scientific studies support such concerns, anecdotes remain rampant on the Internet, and experts say if the trend continues it could lead to the loss of herd immunity and, ultimately, to the re-emergence of childhood diseases previously nipped in ...
Earlier pertussis vaccine boosts protective effect
INFANTS could be more effectively protected from pertussis by vaccinating them at birth, the Public Health Association of Australia's 11th National Immunisation Conference, in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, was told last week. In a world-first study, researchers at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), Sydney, demonstrated that infants vaccinated with acellular pertussis (Pa) at birth and at one month were protected against the disease by the age of two months. Dr Nick Wood, NCIRS senior clinical fellow and paediatrician at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, said about 60% of pertussis hospitalisations were in children younger ...
World report - 8 August
• BRIT SANDWICHES SALT RICH PRE-PACKED sandwiches are loaded with salt and saturated fat, according to a UK study. Conducted by The Daily Mail and Channel 4, the study found Subway’s 12-inch Meatball Marinara contained 7.2 g of salt – the same salt content as 18 packs of chips. While Pret a Manger’s ‘Picnic cheddar, roast tomatoes and pickle bloomer’ sandwich contained 2.27 g of salt and 16.6 g of saturated fat, 80% more fat than in a Big Mac. The UK’s Foods Standards Agency recently called on the catering industry to revise ...
Flu threat has been overstated, experts say
MEDIA reports of a severe influenza season have been downplayed by experts, who say a slight rise in cases may simply reflect increased presentation following last year’s heavy flu season. Recently, federal minister for ageing Justine Elliot issued an urgent warning that elderly Australians should be vaccinated, given an apparent spike in figures this year compared to 2007. Professor Anne Kelso, director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference & Research on Influenza, Melbourne, said: “If it’s correct there have been more diagnoses of flu, I would ask whether more people are going to their GPs and ...
Subsidised flu vaccine for UK tots likely soon
BRITAIN is likely to subsidise influenza vaccination for children aged from six months to two years, according to the head of the government-funded national GP surveillance unit. Dr Douglas Fleming, director of the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Birmingham Research Unit, said cost-effectiveness was a stumbling block to subsidised universal vaccination in the UK for this age group. “I don’t think anybody disputes that vaccination is clinically effective, with the potential benefits being maximal in children less than two years [but older than six months]. Our problem is deciding whether it is cost-justifiable.” Dr Fleming told ...
Push for expanded vax program
AUSTRALIAN immunisation experts will consider broadening funded influenza vaccinations to all high-risk groups. Professor David Isaacs, a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), said a working party on influenza vaccination would present its initial report in June. While high-risk groups currently received subsidised influenza vaccinations, only the elderly and Indigenous people older than 50 years were part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP). “We would like to extend that to everybody at high risk,” Professor Isaacs said. “It would make sense if they were all on the immunisation program, but the ...
Sweet’s syndrome
A painful red rash appears on the hand of an elderly woman. PATIENT PRESENTATION A 70-year-old woman presented with a two-week history of an eruption involving the dorsum of her left hand that was unresponsive to antibiotics. She reported flu-like symptoms for several days before the appearance of the painful and tender reddish papules and plaques. Her medical history included long-standing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), for which she was being treated with cyclosporin. On examination, there were several well-demarcated papules and annular plaques covered by yellow pseudovesiculation on the dorsum of ...