Short, evidence-anchored articles for individuals, families, workplaces and aged-care providers. Sourced from the Australian Immunisation Handbook, the Department of Health, and the Victorian Department of Health.
FeaturedOpioid Agonist Treatment has moved on from daily dosing. Weekly and monthly injectable formulations let people get on with their lives. Here is how the service works at a community pharmacy.
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Adults born after 1965 who have not had two documented doses of MMR can receive the vaccine for free under a Victorian Department of Health initiative, no Medicare card needed.
RSV is no longer thought of as a childhood illness. It hospitalises thousands of older Australians every year, and there is now a vaccine designed for adults aged 60 and over.
Whooping cough is most dangerous to newborns. Adult booster vaccinations protect babies in their first weeks of life when they are too young to be vaccinated themselves.
Pneumococcal disease ranges from ear infection to life-threatening pneumonia and meningitis. NIP funding covers older adults, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults from 50, and people with risk conditions.
For travel to parts of Africa and South America, an International Certificate of Vaccination (the “yellow card”) is mandatory at the border. Here is what it covers and where to be vaccinated.
JE is now present in parts of Victoria, particularly along the Murray. State-funded vaccination is available to specified high-risk groups. Travellers headed to JE-endemic Asia also need it.
Q fever is a serious zoonotic illness that disproportionately affects farm, abattoir and veterinary workers. Vaccination requires pre-screening, not just a single shot at the pharmacy.
Hepatitis A and B are both vaccine-preventable. Adults often need catch-up doses, particularly for travel, healthcare work, or sexual health reasons.
Adults who never had chickenpox can get severely ill if exposed. Vaccination is straightforward and cheap, two doses, lifelong protection.
Mpox vaccinations remain available free under the Victorian state-funded program for eligible adults. Here’s the current ATAGI advice and how to access it.
HPV vaccination isn’t just for adolescents. Adults up to age 45 can benefit, particularly if they missed the school program or never finished the course.
A vaccine that gets warm is a vaccine that doesn’t work. The cold chain is the unglamorous backbone of every safe immunisation program.
Most side-effects are mild and resolve within a couple of days. Here is a clear guide to what is expected, what is worth a call, and what is worth 000.
Five of the most persistent vaccine myths, plus the evidence that rebuts each. Useful for conversations with hesitant friends or family.
The National Immunisation Program funds several vaccines from younger ages for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Here is a quick reference.
People on immunosuppressive medication or with autoimmune conditions often need <em>more</em> vaccinations, not fewer, but the timing and choice of vaccine matters.
The first weeks with a newborn are not the time to scramble for vaccinations. Here is what to sort before the baby arrives, and what to do in the months that follow.
Free flu vaccinations under the National Immunisation Program reach more people than many realise. Here is a quick check.
Pharmacist immunisers in Victoria can now deliver many more vaccines than they could a decade ago. Here is what changed, what is still ahead, and how it benefits the community.
A 30-minute clinic that costs about a coffee per staff member often saves multiple days of lost productivity. Here is how to model it for your team.
The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards lift the bar for resident, worker and visitor immunisation. Here’s what providers need to evidence, and how a pharmacy-led clinic helps.
Residential aged care providers must offer annual flu vaccination to all staff and capture refusals. Here is how the requirement actually works.
A region-by-region snapshot of the vaccines commonly recommended for Australian travellers, with links to the interactive guide and authoritative country lookups.
COVID-19 hasn’t disappeared, it’s settled into a circulating respiratory virus with seasonal peaks. Boosters are still recommended for specific groups under current ATAGI advice.
A plain-language walkthrough of the National Immunisation Program schedule for Australian children from birth through to school entry, and where to get each dose.
A single combination booster at four years rounds out the childhood schedule and is needed for childcare and school enrolment. Here is what it covers and where to get it.
Healthcare workers carry a higher risk of acquiring and transmitting vaccine-preventable disease. Most Victorian public-health employers now require documented immunity for several diseases.
It’s not bureaucracy, it’s the single most important safety window of the whole appointment. Here’s why every immuniser worth their salt insists on it.
If you work with children, you are exposed to several vaccine-preventable diseases more often than the general population. Here is what is recommended and why.
Adults and children who arrived in Australia after the standard childhood schedule began are entitled to free catch-up vaccinations under the National Immunisation Program.
Living without a working spleen significantly increases your risk of severe infection from a handful of specific bacteria. A focused vaccination plan, plus a few other steps, dramatically reduces that risk.
Diabetes raises the risk of severe outcomes from several vaccine-preventable infections, particularly influenza and pneumococcal disease. Several vaccines are NIP-funded as a result.
Chemotherapy, radiation and immune-modulating therapies leave your immune system in a different state. Vaccination plans need to be timed and sequenced carefully, but they are an important part of recovery.
Two parallel rules link your child’s immunisation record to childcare and to Family Tax Benefit Part A. Here is exactly what each one requires, and how to check your record.
People living with HIV have a higher rate of severe outcomes from several vaccine-preventable infections. A well-timed vaccination plan, coordinated with your HIV physician, substantially reduces that risk.
Trial results tell us what a vaccine can do under ideal conditions. Real-world surveillance tells us what it actually does. Here is how Australia measures the difference.
Hesitancy is rarely about a lack of information. It is mostly about trust, identity, and what your social network believes. Here is what the research, including Australian SKAI work, has established.
Most countries monitor vaccine safety after authorisation through passive reporting. Australia goes further — an active SMS-based surveillance system asks vaccinated people directly how they are.
For most vaccine-preventable diseases, you don’t need 100% coverage to protect the unvaccinated, you need a critical fraction. Here is how that fraction is calculated, and why measles needs the highest.
Australia is officially measles-free, sustained local transmission has been gone for over a decade. So why do we still see outbreaks every year?
The short answer: 6–8 weeks before you fly. Some travel vaccines need multiple doses, weeks apart. Here’s how to time it properly.
Long before COVID-19, wastewater testing was used to confirm polio elimination. The pandemic expanded it dramatically. Here is how it works.
Workplace flu clinics differ in delivery, documentation and after-care. Here are the questions a good HR manager should ask before contracting an on-site provider.
A maternal RSV vaccine given between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy passes protective antibodies to the baby. Here’s how it works, when to get it, and what the evidence shows.
Australian childhood schedules have changed multiple times. Most adults are due for at least one catch-up. Here’s a quick checklist of what to look at.
Shingles is more common, and more debilitating, than most people realise. The recombinant shingles vaccine is NIP-funded for everyone aged 65 and over.
Two vaccinations in Year 7, one in Year 10, and what to do if your child misses the school clinic.
Every vaccine you receive in Australia is reported to the Australian Immunisation Register. Here’s how to access yours in under five minutes.
Our pharmacist immunisers are happy to discuss eligibility and timing. No appointment needed during opening hours.
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