12 March 2024

It’s important your patients prepare before travelling overseas to avoid diseases and other health issues.

Providing a travel consultation with your patients minimises the risks which may occur during travel. 

The travel consultation aims to:  

  • assess the traveller’s trip plans and determine potential health hazards 
  • educate the traveller about anticipated risks and methods for prevention 
  • prescribe travel vaccinations for preventable diseases and medications for prophylaxis, or self-treatment

If you are not confident providing advice to travellers, particularly about vaccinations, please consider referral to a dedicated travel clinic.

Your patients can visit the NSW Health website for steps to staying healthy when travelling or Health Resource Directory to find more travel health advice resources. 

05 March 2024

From 1 March 2024, changes to legislation will require all vaccination providers to report to the AIR:

  • the route of administration for Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) vaccines
  • information about the vaccine type for all vaccines prescribed by the Australian Immunisation Register Rule 2015 (this includes COVID-19, influenza, National Immunisation Program and JEV vaccines)

Under the ‘vaccine type’ field, vaccination providers can choose one of the following options:

  • antenatal
  • NIP/Commonwealth
  • private
  • state program

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 by a state or territory program.

Find out more

05 March 2024

The Department of Health and Aged Care has provided 2024 influenza season advice including:

Further advice and resources will become available in advance of the program rollout in April.

Vaccination providers and health professionals can also get the latest National Immunisation Program updates by subscribing to the Department of Health and Aged Care email list.

Additional vaccine advice:

COVID-19 advice

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

01 February 2024

Benchmarque Group is hosting two new virtual workshops focusing on catch up immunisations.

Basic Catchups for Immunisation – find out more.

This workshop will be held on Saturday, 2 March and Saturday, 11 May, from 8.30am to 11.30am.

Complex Catchups for Immunisation – find out more.

This workshop will be held on Saturday, 13 April and Saturday, 8 June, from 8.30am to 11.30am.

These workshops are open to all individuals, regardless of whether they have completed immunisation education with the Benchmarque Group. The workshops cost $95.

09 January 2024

Receive free Authorised Nurse Immuniser in NSW training and administer vaccinations independent of a medical officer.

Registered nurses who work in general practice or residential aged care homes in South Western Sydney have the opportunity for 100 per cent cost reimbursed training to become an Authorised Nurse Immuniser in NSW.

Completion of the Immunisation Endorsement Pathway (Nurse Immuniser) course authorises nurses to administer vaccinations independent of a medical officer. The course is delivered by The Benchmarque Group.

An increase in the number of Authorised Nurse Immunisers will support the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations in our region to healthcare workers, vulnerable populations and the general community.

 

Training entry criteria

  1. You must currently be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia as a registered nurse or midwife.
  2. You must be working within the nursing profession in a general practice or residential aged care home located in the local government area of Bankstown, Campbelltown, Camden, Fairfield, Liverpool, Wollondilly or Wingecarribee.
  3. You must have two to three years’ experience within the nursing profession since initial registration, with the last 12 months prior to making the application spent in employment in NSW or the ACT.

 

100 per cent reimbursement of course fee

Complete the course in 2024 to receive a 100 per cent reimbursement of the course fee. 

Submit completed forms in the below order before 30 December 2024 to receive your payment.

  1. completed reimbursement form (linked below)
  2. completion certificate
  3. invoice
Reimbursement form

Nurse Immunisation Training EOI

Complete this expression of interest to undertake nurse immunisation training.

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Tick all statements which apply to you.

 

Funding for this initiative is provided by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

More training available for practice staff

 

Participants with any questions can email covid19@swsphn.com.au

18 December 2023

The end of the year is fast approaching, which means a lot of people 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, people are encouraged 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 which are not common in Australia.

The National Immunisation Program also provides free vaccinations for children from birth to four years old.

Making sure our children are up-to-date and getting vaccinated according to the schedule means they are protected from viruses and diseases which 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.

Find out more

03 November 2023

A downloadable, Routine Childhood Immunisation health professionals’ kit, is available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

This toolkit is designed to support you in conversations with parents and carers about childhood immunisation.

The kit contains:  

  • answers to common questions from parents and carers
  • immunisation clinical support
  • links to support tools to use when discussing vaccination with parents, whether the parents are ready to vaccinate their children, have questions, or intend to decline vaccination
  • printable materials you can display or hand out at your clinic
  • social media and newsletter suggestions
  • specific materials for First Nations and multicultural audiences

There are also a range of simple animations covering why timing is important, how vaccines work, and the safety of vaccines.

06 September 2023

All vaccinating general practices in NSW must adhere to mandatory vaccine storage and cold chain management requirements to ensure vaccines are stored in accordance with best practice guidelines.

The Public Health Unit (PHU) is conducting random audits in South Western Sydney to ensure practices are adhering to cold chain management guidelines, in response to the growing number of breaches related to COVID-19 vaccines.

It is important for practices to ensure all staff have completed the NSW Health Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management online learning module, and the COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program, to prevent cold chain incidents.

Relevant training:

Vaccine Storage and Chain Management Module

COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program

Additional information:

Vaccine storage and cold chain management

If you have a clinical question, please contact SWSPHN’s Clinical Support team via email at clinicalsupport@swsphn.com.au

01 September 2023

All vaccinating general practices in NSW must adhere to mandatory vaccine storage and cold chain management requirements to ensure vaccines are stored in accordance with best practice guidelines.

The Public Health Unit (PHU) is conducting random audits in South Western Sydney to ensure practices are adhering to cold chain management guidelines, in response to the growing number of breaches related to COVID-19 vaccines.

It is important for practices to ensure all staff have completed the NSW Health Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Management on-line learning module, and the COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program, to prevent cold chain incidents.

Relevant training:

Vaccine Storage and Chain Management Module

COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program

Additional information:

Vaccine storage and cold chain management

If you have a clinical question, please contact SWSPHN’s Clinical Support team via email at clinicalsupport@swsphn.com.au