New NIP vaccine program: Shingrix
As of 1 November 2023, the new National Immunisation Program (NIP) Shingrix program has commenced.
Shingrix is an inactivated vaccine used for the prevention of zoster (shingles). It has been registered for use in Australia since 2018 but until now it has only been available to purchase privately.
Shingrix has replaces Zostavax on the NIP. Zostavax is a live zoster vaccine, which could not be administered to immunocompromised people.
Shingrix is funded for:
- all people aged 65 years and over
- First Nations people aged 50 years and over
- people aged 18 years and over with certain immunocompromising conditions (history of haematopoietic stem cell transplant, solid organ transplant, blood cancer, and advanced or untreated HIV).
Immunisation Coalition: Webinar – Shingles
Các Immunisation Coalition will be hosting a shingles (zoster) webinar on Wednesday 15 November 2023 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm (AEDT).
The webinar will feature A/Prof John Litt with Dr Andrew Minton as moderator, and will cover topics including zoster epidemiology, changes to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule and current trends in vaccination rates.
Register with the Immunisation Coalition
NCIRS: Webinar – Shingrix
Các Trung tâm Nghiên cứu và Giám sát Tiêm chủng Quốc gia (NCIRS) is hosting a webinar on Australia’s new National Immunisation Program (NIP) shingles (zoster) vaccine, Shingrix, to be held on Tuesday 7 November 2023 from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm (AEDT).
Leading experts will present on:
- the disease burden of shingles in Australia
- details about Shingrix
- the new Australian Shingrix vaccination program
- the US experience of implementing a national Shingrix program.
The 2023 CVU – what’s next?
Thank you to everyone who attended the CVU. If you have not had a chance to complete our post-event survey, we would love to hear from you. Please let us know your thoughts and help us shape future MVEC events.
We will be in touch soon to provide attendance certificates and directions for accessing recordings of the presentations.
People who did not attend the event will be able to purchase a recording of the CVU soon.
For regular MVEC updates and to be notified of future events, Theo dõi bản tin của chúng tôi hoặc theo dõi chúng tôi @mvecau trên Instagram Và Twitter và tại Trung tâm Giáo dục về Vắc xin Melbourne – MVEC vào ngày Facebook.
Updated immunisation reference page: Pertussis
We have recently updated our pertussis reference page.
Pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough) is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Pertussis is usually more serious in infants under 6 months, but it can affect people of any age.
The updated page includes new details on pertussis epidemiology and more information about transmission. We have also published detailed guidance and recommendations for primary course and booster vaccinations across age groups.
Cập nhật trang tham khảo tiêm chủng: Zoster (herpes zoster)
We have recently updated our zoster (also known as shingles) reference page.
Zoster is the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV) in people who have previously had varicella (chickenpox) infection. Zoster presents with a painful blistering rash. The most common side effect is post-herpetic neuralgia.
The updated page includes new details on eligibility for the upcoming National Immunisation Program (NIP) funding for Shingrix, commencing on 1 November 2023. The page also features commonly asked questions on zoster and Shingrix.
MVEC: Giời leo (herpes zoster)
Australian Immunisation Handbook: New chapter on COVID-19
Today, 5 October 2023, the Department of Health and Aged Care has published a new chapter on COVID-19 in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
In a major update, the new COVID-19 disease chapter consolidates the available COVID-19 clinical guidance material.
The chapter includes the following subsections:
- Overview
- khuyến nghị
- Vaccines, dosage and administration
- Chống chỉ định và các biện pháp phòng ngừa
- Adverse events
- Nature of the disease
- Clinical features
- Dịch tễ học
- Vaccine information
- Transporting, storing and handling vaccines
- Public health management
- Variations from product information.
Australian Immunisation Handbook: COVID-19
Nobel Prize awarded to mRNA vaccine researchers
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman have received the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their role in the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Read about their work at The Nobel Prize: Discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19
WHO recommends new malaria vaccine
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the new malaria vaccine R21/Matrix-M for the prevention of malaria in children.
The approval of the R21 vaccine is expected to result in sufficient vaccine supply to benefit all children living in areas where malaria is a public health risk.
The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine to be recommended by WHO. In 2021, WHO recommended the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine. Both vaccines are safe and effective in preventing malaria in children.
Sốt rét giết chết hơn 600.000 người mỗi năm. Vào năm 2021, ước tính có khoảng 247 triệu trường hợp mắc bệnh sốt rét với 95% trường hợp xảy ra ở Khu vực Châu Phi của WHO. Trẻ em dưới 5 tuổi là nhóm dễ bị tổn thương nhất do sốt rét.
Malaria vaccines have taken decades to develop due to the complicated structure of the malaria parasite. Earlier this year, Ghana was the first country to approve the R21 vaccine.
WHO: WHO recommends R21/Matrix-M vaccine for malaria prevention
Misinterpretation and misuse of recent COVID-19 study
The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) authors of a recent COVID-19 study have released a statement addressing the misinterpretation and misuse of their publication, BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination in children alters cytokine responses to heterologous pathogens and Toll-like receptor agonists.
The publication has been used to claim that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous and that they suppress the immune system. The research does not provide any evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to the immune system of children or adults.
MCRI: A statement regarding a recent COVID-19 vaccination publication