The Age: Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines now available to all Australians over 60
Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced that from Friday, 1 October Australians aged 60 and over will be able to get Pfizer and Moderna regardless of where they live, expanding vaccine choice for more than 300,000 older people who have been waiting to get vaccinated.
In addition to this, it has also been announced that Victoria will receive an extra 88,900 Moderna doses to assist in state clinics to focus on under 60s, while GP and pharmacies will focus vaccinating those 60 and over.
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The Age: Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines now available to all Australians over 60
Victorian Government COVID-19 Vaccination Enhancement Grants
The Victorian Government is offering COVID-19 Vaccination Enhancement Grants to pharmacies and general practices interested in maximising their capacity to deliver vaccines across identified geographic areas at higher risk of COVID-19.
The grants are designed to support primary care providers to utilise their full vaccine allocations and to confidently promote access in their local communities as well as fund additional workforce or operational costs associated with maximising COVID-19 vaccine administration.
To find out more information about the grants available, please click on the link below.
Victorian Government COVID-19 Vaccination Enhancement Grants
Moderna pharmacy appointments available via online booking platforms
As community pharmacies begin administering Moderna vaccines across the country, listed below are two available booking platforms that may assist with locating your nearest community pharmacy, and their availability for a vaccine appointment.
MVEC are not affiliated with the sites and the information should be used as a guide only.
You can view the booking platforms via the links below.
Find a Pharmacy
Covid19Nearme
Healthed lecture series featuring Associate Professor Nigel Crawford
MVEC’s Associate Professor Nigel Crawford delivered the COVID-19 Update as part of the recent Healthed Australia online lecture series.
In this lecture, A/Prof Nigel Crawford discussed the following:
- An update on the latest ATAGI announcements
- Moderna safety data
- The booster debate
- Back to school
To listen to the lecture in full, click on the link below:
Healthed lecture series 28 September: COVID-19 Update
New immunisation reference page: COVID-19 mandatory vaccination directions in Victoria
Due to the potential for high levels of disease transmission and an increased risk of severe disease in vulnerable groups, COVID-19 vaccination has been made mandatory for specific workplaces/industries within Victoria.
Our new reference page outlines the current COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Directions Order in place in Victoria, including an overview of the responsibilities for both employers and employees, as well as information regarding the medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines.
要阅读更多信息，请点击以下链接：
MVEC：维多利亚州 COVID-19 强制疫苗接种指南
ATAGI statement about the need for additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has released a statement about the need for additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
The statement strongly recommends maximising first and second dose vaccine uptake across the community without delay in line with current prioritisation and outbreak response strategies and that two doses of any of the vaccines available in Australia have been shown to protect an individual from COVID-19 and its complications, as well as protecting the community.
ATAGI continues to closely monitor local and international data about the frequency and severity of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals as well as reviewing the international data on the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of additional doses for specific high-risk patient populations, including immunocompromised individuals, and the population more generally. These data will inform future strategies regarding additional vaccine doses.
Additional doses can be defined as:
- Third doses: Additional COVID-19 doses required as part of the primary course to reach a comparable (optimal) level of protection
- Booster dose: Additional COVID-19 doses required at a broader population level, to optimise protection due to waning of immunity (loss of protection) over time, with booster doses also leading to improved immune memory.
To read the statement in full, please click the link below:
ATAGI statement about the need for additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines
Webinar recording now available: The Alfred community information session on COVID-19 vaccines
A webinar recording is now available from The Alfred’s community information session on COVID-19 vaccines which was held on Tuesday 21 September.
In this session, Allen Cheng and Associate Professor Nigel Crawford discuss in detail the COVID-19 vaccines, including the safety and efficacy in children over 12 years old, as well as answer questions from the community.
The full recording is available on The Alfred channels or the MVEC Facebook page via the links below:
The Alfred community discussion 21 September
MVEC Facebook page
ABC 新闻：辉瑞申请批准用于 5 至 11 岁儿童的 COVID-19 疫苗
这项备受期待的试验涉及 2,000 多名儿童，研究了辉瑞和 BioNTech COVID-19 疫苗对 5 至 11 岁儿童的有效性和安全性，初步结果表明该疫苗是安全的，并建立了针对该病毒的强大抗体反应。
尽管初步结果令人鼓舞，但在美国和澳大利亚正式推出针对 5 至 11 岁儿童的疫苗还需要一段时间。一旦试验分析完成，为了获得批准，公司需要向 FDA 提供正式的免疫“桥接”研究，该研究提供基于数据的证据，证明儿童产生的相同抗体水平已被证明具有保护作用在年龄较大的儿童和青少年中。结果将提交给美国食品和药物管理局 (FDA) 进行审查和紧急使用授权。
要阅读全文，请点击以下链接：
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-21/pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-5-to-11-year-old/100478362
Chest Pain Guideline updated in MVEC myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines pages
We have updated our COVID-19 FAQs regarding myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines page to include the new Chest Pain Guidelines.
PREDICT and ACEM, in consultation with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the NZ Immunisation Advisory Centre, and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) have developed a brief guideline on an approach to the initial assessment and workup of children and adolescents presenting to the ED with vaccine-related symptoms.
To read the guidelines, please refer to the following MVEC pages:
MVEC: COVID-19 FAQs page: myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines
MVEC: Myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines reference page
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 并将涵盖：
- Identification and assessment of myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination
- Understanding management and referral guidelines
有关注册的更多信息和详细信息，请访问以下链接：
PHN webinar: Primary Care Management of Myocarditis and Pericarditis After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines