Key COVID vaccine resources for immunisation providers

Over the weekend, an 84-year-old aged care resident became the first person to receive a COVID vaccine as part of Australia’s nationwide coronavirus vaccination program.
 
Phase 1a of the rollout will concentrate on the distribution of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine and not involve general practices, but it will only be a matter of weeks before GPs are called upon to start administering the Oxford University/AstraZeneca candidate during phase 1b.
 
To help facilitate the rollout, the Department of Health has released a series of key resources, including clinical guidance for vaccine providers produced by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
 
The resources also include consent forms, a vaccination decision guide for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy, and ATAGI advice on influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
 
Accredited general practices are likely to find out within the week whether their expression of interest to take part from phase1b onwards has been accepted, and once training for the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available it can be accessed here.
 
Meanwhile, information on what the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) means by assessing patient suitability for the Oxford University/AstraZeneca on a ‘case-by-case’ basis can be found on the Product Information and Consumer Medicine Information pages on the regulators’ website.
 
This will be updated as more information comes to hand, and patients – including people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities – can also access their own dedicated resources.
 
Additionally, the ATAGI has produced an immunisation provider guide containing common questions regarding COVID-19 vaccines, including safety concerns, in order to help GPs address vaccine hesitancy.
 
Likewise, Prominent RACGP Fellow Dr Magdalena Simonis has provided a list of easy-to-understand answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID vaccines that both GPs and patients can refer to.
 
Anyone who has experienced suspected side effects post vaccination can report their concerns here.
 
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