PHN Webinar: Primary Care Management of Myocarditis and Pericarditis After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
The PHN will be hosting a webinar for GPs on Tuesday 28 September featuring a panel of expert speakers including MVEC’s A/Prof Nigel Crawford, Dr. Scott Parsons GP Clinical Editor, HealthPathways Melbourne and Dr. Bryn Jones Deputy Director of Cardiology, Royal Children’s Hospital. The topic for the webinar is Primary Care Management of Myocarditis and Pericarditis After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines and will cover:
- Identification and assessment of myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination
- Understanding management and referral guidelines
Further information and details on registration can be found via the link below:
PHN webinar: Primary Care Management of Myocarditis and Pericarditis After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
New resource: The MVEC Conversation: myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines
Following on from our CVU mini virtual event: Matters of the heart: myocarditis and pericarditis associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, The Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre is excited to announce our latest resource The MVEC Conversation: myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines.
This vodcast takes a deeper look into this adverse event of special interest (AESI) and features special guest Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, the deputy director of the Immunization Safety Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, in conversation with Dr Daryl Cheng and Associate Professor Nigel Crawford.
To find out more about this resource, please visit our MVEC Events page.
ABC News: Israel is struggling with COVID-19, despite high vaccination rates. What lessons can Australia learn?
Due to an early and rapid vaccine roll-out, Israel was leading the way for COVID-19 immunisation, with nearly 80 per cent of its citizens aged 12 and over fully inoculated by June. However, cases numbers and rates of hospitalisations began to rapidly rise again by late June with Israel recording its highest single-day spike with 16,011 new infections on September 1.
As Australia works its way towards reopening, this article discusses the important lessons we can learn from Israel's vaccination program. Professor Lewin, Director of The Doherty Institute commented "What we've learned from [Israel], and what's consistent with the modelling is that even at 80 per cent, you need to have some public health measures in place to contain the transmission,"
To read the article in full, please click on the link below:
ABC News: Israel is struggling with COVID-19, despite high vaccination rates. What lessons can Australia learn?
Commonwealth-funded places available for Nurse Immuniser course
There are limited places available for Registered Nurses (RNs) with one year of clinical experience to complete the Commonwealth-funded Nurse Immuniser short course free of charge (conditions apply).
The immunisation (Nurse immuniser) short course is based on the National Immunisation Education Framework for Health Professionals (2017) and has been accredited by the National body for health education Health Education Services Australia (HESA).
To find out more information on this course, please click on the links below. Please note some allocations have been exhausted.
The University of Melbourne: The immunisation (Nurse immuniser) short course
Benchmarque Group Immunisation Endorsement Pathway
ABC News: Another 1 million Moderna COVID-19 vaccines doses coming to Australia after EU deal
1 million doses of the Moderna vaccine which have been secured from European nations are to be sent directly to community pharmacies across the country this week. The announcement is in line with advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
On announcing the latest deal, the government has confirmed that there was now enough vaccine for everyone still waiting for a jab to be offered one in October. In addition to this, from the week of September 20, approximately 1,800 community pharmacies across the country will receive Moderna doses, with an additional 1,800 to receive Moderna doses after that.
To read the article in full, click on the link below.
ABC News: Another 1 million Moderna COVID-19 vaccines doses coming to Australia after EU deal
The Age: ‘Jabba the Bus’ to take regional vaccination drive onto the road
Jabba the bus brings about exciting news for COVID-19 vaccination in regional Victoria. The mobile vaccine hub will deliver essential AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines to isolated residents of regional Victoria. The focus will be on the City of Greater Shepparton as well as Moira, Benalla, Strathbogie, Mitchell, Mansfield Murrindindi and Campaspe.
A high sense of urgency perpetuated the need for the mobile vaccination hub following a large COVID-19 outbreak in Shepparton which forced more than 20 000 people into isolation, including more than 500 staff from Goulburn Valley Health. Goulburn Valley Health Chief executive Matt Sharp indicated that currently, only 45 per cent of people had received even their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while an increasingly more alarming rate of just 26 per cent received their second dose.
The mobile vaccination station, which is the first service of its’ kind in the state represents a promising opportunity to increase vaccine uptake amongst groups of people who otherwise may not have access to the vaccine and includes easy accessibility for people with disabilities.
Full article:
The Age: The Age: ‘Jabba the Bus’ to take regional vaccination drive onto the road
New immunisation reference page: Neutropenia: Vaccine recommendations for children with chronic neutropenia
Children with neutropenia are at increased risk of bacterial and fungal infections and therefore preventing infections in this group is a priority in order to protect these children against vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). However, this patient group is not addressed in The Australian Immunisation Handbook.
Our new reference page, Neutropenia: vaccine recommendations for children with chronic neutropenia discusses the recommendations for this group based on international guidelines and local consensus.
To read more follow the link below:
MVEC: New immunisation reference page: Neutropenia: Vaccine recommendations for children with chronic neutropenia
TGA Provisional Approval of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to include 12-17 years age group
On September 4 2021, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) granted provisional approval to Moderna Australia Pty Ltd for its COVID-19 vaccine—Spikevax (elasomeran) to include the 12-17 years age group. This decision follows the provisional approval granted by the TGA to Spikevax on 9 August 2021 for use in individuals aged 18 years and older.
To find out more information, please refer to our dedicated MVEC Moderna COVID-19 vaccination page in the link below:
MVEC Moderna COVID-19 vaccination page
New immunisation reference page: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Immune thrombocytopenia, also previously known as idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), is an uncommon autoimmune condition in which the body’s own immune system attacks platelets (the cells found in the blood which normally help the blood to clot).
Our new reference page discusses the background of ITP, including presentation of the condition and the association between ITP and MMR vaccines. Our page also answers questions around ITP and COVID-19 vaccines, including whether or not COVID-19 vaccines should be administered to people with a history of ITP.
To read more follow the link below:
MVEC: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
A recording of the 30th August CVU mini is now available
Thank you to all who attended our recent CVU miniseries event Matters of the heart: Myocarditis and pericarditis associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccination on 30th August 2021.
This interactive webinar took an in-depth look at an important vaccine safety signal associated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna).
A recording of this event is now available via our education portal.
To access this recording please follow the link below: