Immunisation provider information and resources

Vaccine Updates gives immunisation providers important news and information updates about immunisation programs and vaccines in Western Australia.

All immunisation providers are encouraged to sign up to Vaccine Updates (external site).

See previous Vaccine Updates.

The WA Immunisation Schedule is a series of routine and recommended immunisations given at specific times throughout life. Vaccines listed on the Schedule are funded for the eligible persons. Please see Immunisation schedule and catch-up immunisations for more information such as vaccine eligibility criteria and vaccination programs in WA.

The schedule is subject to change, please ensure to update your browser cache so that you are downloading the latest document.

The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is a whole of life, national immunisation register, which captures vaccines given to all people in Australia. It is mandatory for all immunisation providers to report all National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccinations including influenza vaccinations, and COVID-19 vaccination they administered to the AIR.

Immunisation providers are encouraged to report other vaccines administered. This ensures individuals have a complete record of their vaccinations through their AIR immunisation history statement (external site), and can manage their health more effectively.

A fact sheet outlining mandatory reporting obligations and helpful tips is available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website (external site).

New immunisation providers can register on the AIR by completing the application to register form (external site) and emailing their signed copy to AIR.authorisation@health.wa.gov.au for WA Department of Health approval. Once approved by the WA Department of Health, the application is sent to Services Australia (external site), and a copy is sent to the applicant.

The Chief Executive Officer of Health (Department of Health) has issued Structured Administrations and Supply Arrangements (SASAs) to authorise registered health practitioners to administer vaccines in accordance with the Medicines and Poisons Regulation 2016 (external site).

Practitioners working under a SASA issued by the Department of Health are expected to have completed additional specialist immunisation training and other requirements as outlined in the conditions to the SASA. Please review the conditions in the relevant SASA to assess if you need to meet any additional requirements to safely and successfully practice in Western Australia.

Other routine conditions for all practitioners working under these Arrangements include:

• compliance with the Australian Immunisation Handbook
• ensuring cold chain of vaccines is maintained
• obtaining informed consent for patients and follow procedures in the Australian Immunisation Handbook
• keeping clinical records of all vaccines administered and reporting to AIR
• reporting all adverse events.

Please visit vaccine ordering for related links for ordering and management protocols of government-funded vaccines. Importantly, immunisation providers are responsible for ensuring all vaccines are received and stored by practice staff who are educated in cold chain management and follow the National vaccine storage guidelines: Strive for 5 (external site).

Useful information following vaccination resource is a useful tool for providers to use in patient discussions about potential vaccine side effects and how to manage them. It describes the common and rare side effects for all vaccines listed in the WA Immunisation schedule. This resource is available to order from the Quickmail warehouse (external site).

An adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) is an unwanted or unexpected event following the administration of a vaccine.

An AEFI may be due to:

• a person’s response to a vaccine component or the vaccination procedure, or
• coincidence, i.e., it would have occurred regardless of vaccination, or
• incorrect handling or administration of a vaccine.

Reporting of AEFIs to the WA Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system is a condition of the SASAs that provide the authority for practitioners to safely administer vaccinations in Western Australia.

Immunisation providers who become aware of an AEFI should use the SAFEVAC Reporting (external site) to notify the WAVSS.

Publications such as brochures, posters, and factsheets to support your immunisation practice are available for order on the publication ordering system (external site). Find out how to place an order (PDF 768KB).

Further resources

• The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) (external site) provides annualised data for all children fully immunised in WA (external site). Publications, guidelines, forms and access to the register are also available from this site.
• The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (external site) provides information and resources on vaccine preventable diseases. NCIRS also provides influenza immunisation coverage data (external site).
• HealthyWA (external site) offers consumer friendly fact sheets about vaccination.
• The Australian Government Department of Health (external site) has a number of resources for health care professionals on various immunisation and vaccination-related topics.
• The Therapeutic Goods Administration (external site) holds product information on all available vaccines and health professionals can also sign up to their regular email product updates and alerts (external site).