New immunisation reference page: COVID-19 vaccination in children
COVID-19 infections have generally produced more severe disease outcomes in adults and the older population, with children generally experiencing milder symptoms. For this reason, initial COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials and vaccine rollouts focused on the adult population. However, it is recognised that in order to achieve herd immunity within the community, the vaccination of children needs to be considered.
Our new reference page outlines the importance of conducting paediatric focused COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials and summarises the trials that are currently underway.
To read more follow the link below:
MVEC: COVID-19 vaccination in children
Guidance for differentiating anaphylaxis from acute stress response for vaccine providers and Emergency Departments
Anaphylaxis following immunisation is extremely rare but can be life-threatening if not managed effectively. There are many conditions with similar presentations to anaphylaxis without being true anaphylaxis (eg. vasovagal, anxiety, vocal cord dysfunction) which can make the diagnosis difficult.
The Department of Health and the VicSIS network have put together Guidance for differentiating anaphylaxis from acute stress response for vaccine providers and Emergency Departments. This helpful resource provides a comparison of signs and symproms, as well as highlights the importance of measuring tryptase levels in patients with suspected anaphylaxis.
This guidance can be found in the resources section of the below reference page:
MVEC: COVID-19 vaccines and allergy
New immunisation reference page: COVID-19 vaccines in people with immunocompromise
Despite vaccination being recommended, there is currently minimal data on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in the immunocompromised population. In principle, there are no theoretical safety risks and no vaccine safety signals have been identified for vaccinated people with immunocompromise to date. Similar to responses following the administration of other inactivated vaccines in immunocompromised people, a reduced efficacy may occur following vaccination against COVID-19.
Our new reference page collates the various recommendations and guidance available for a broad group of immunocompromising conditions and therapies, as well as providing specific recommendations and/or links where available.
To read more, follow the link below:
MVEC: COVID-19 vaccines in people with immunocompromise
New immunisation reference page: Adverse events following COVID-19 immunisation
All immunisations are medications and all medications do have side effects. For each vaccine there is a known list of common or expected adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) and then a smaller list of serious side effects. Reporting significant adverse events is important to allow for signal detection and investigation as part of post-licensure vaccine safety monitoring.
Our new reference page explores what sort of reactions are common and expected following COVID-19 immunisation, and what sort of reactions warrant reporting.
For more information please refer to the following:
MVEC: COVID-19 vaccine adverse events
ABC News: ATAGI have told the Prime Minister to pull back on the AstraZeneca vaccine for under 50s and use Pfizer, but who are they?
The Australian Government’s recent decision to amend Australia’s vaccine program was based on the recommendation provided by ATAGI, following international evidence linking a rare blood-clotting condition to the AstraZeneca vaccine in younger people.
ATAGI is the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. They provide recommendations to the Minister for Health regarding the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and other immunisation issues including immunisation research and immunisation policies, procedures and vaccine safety. Comprising of 14 medical experts, the group is co-chaired by Associate Professor Christopher Blyth, a specialist in paediatric infectious diseases, and Professor Allen Cheng, who specialises in epidemiology and public health.
This article summarises the role of ATAGI, including their recent recommendations to the Government regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine.
To read more follow the link below:
For more information on ATAGI, please refer to our MVEC reference page:
New immunisation reference page: Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome
Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a newly described serious condition which has been reported in people following receipt of dose 1 of COVID-19 AstraZeneca.
Our new reference page explores what is known about the syndrome including symptoms, rates of occurrence globally, risk factors and the types of investigations that should be performed in patients where TTS is suspected.
To read more please refer to the below link:
MVEC: Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome
Information about COVID-19 vaccines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and NCIRS have joined together to develop new resources on COVID-19 vaccines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This information includes frequently asked questions surrounding the safety and effectiveness of available vaccines, as well as the immunisation recommendations for special risk groups.
To access these resources please follow the link below:
NACCHO: COVID-19 Vaccine Updates and Information
Further information on the immunisation recommendations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can be found on our reference page:
MVEC: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander immunisation recommendations
New immunisation reference page: COVID-19 weekly vaccine update
The rapid development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines globally has been a tremendous success story for public health. However, it can prove challenging to stay up to date with the increasing literature on various aspects of these vaccines. The COVID-19 weekly vaccine update summarises the data available on COVID-19 vaccines and includes: the specifications of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine efficacy and effectiveness including against variants of concern; comorbidities and the elderly; vaccine safety; the pipeline for vaccine development; and the WHO SAGE timeline for vaccine authorisation. Each week, the document is updated and contains newly released information on the vaccines.
To subscribe to the update, email [email protected]
Alternatively you can access the update via our reference page below:
MVEC: COVID-19 weekly vaccine update
ATAGI- COVID-19 vaccine guidance for patients with immunocompromise
ATAGI have published recommendations for the vaccination of immune compromised patients with COVID-19 vaccines, Comirnaty™ and COVID-19 AstraZeneca.
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all immunocompromised people due to an increased risk of developing severe disease if infected with SARS-CoV-2. Administration of COVID-19 vaccines should be planned with the treating specialist and in some instances the timing of immune suppressive therapies may be altered to maximise immune responses to vaccination. Reducing the interval between COVID-19 vaccine doses to allow for planning of treatments can also be considered.
To view these recommendations please refer to
- ATAGI – Provider guide to COVID-19 vaccination of people with immunocompromise
- ATAGI – COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for people with immunocompromise
For other information on the immunisation of immune compromised people please refer to:
MVEC: Immunosuppression and vaccines
New immunisation reference page: COVID-19 vaccines and allergy
Suspected hypersensitivity reactions, particularly non-urticarial skin rashes following immunisation, are common, however true vaccine allergy, where a person is contraindicated from being immunised with the same vaccine in the future, is rare (in most studies reported as less than 1 case per million doses).
Post-licensure surveillance of COVID-19 vaccines show anaphylaxis following administration of COVID-19 AstraZeneca occurring at similar rates to routine vaccines. Anaphylaxis following Comirnaty™ (Pfizer/BioNTech), while still extremely rare, occurs at a slightly higher rate of approximately 4.7 cases per million doses.
A confirmed vaccine allergy usually requires a specialist consultation with a vaccine allergy specialist, often with specific testing or a vaccine challenge under supervision.
Find out more about allergies to COVID-19 vaccines, allergies to components of COVID-19 vaccines, and management of these allergies in our new immunisation reference page, COVID-19 vaccines and allergy.