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Due to planned maintenance the RACGP website will be offline Tuesday, 12 November 2024 between 7:30AM – 9.30AM AEDT. During this time services will be offline. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.


COVID-19 vaccine information for GPs


Page last updated 2 August 2024

For the latest updates on COVID-19 visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for GPs webpage

You can find all RACGP developed COVID-19 resources in a central location on the RACGP website.

National COVID-19 Vaccination Program update - July 2024
 

The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) has released the latest Primary Care Vaccine Provider Bulletin. Key updates include the reduction in maximum ordering allocations for the Pfizer (XBB.1.5) 12 years+ (Grey) vaccine from 600 doses to 120 doses per fortnight. If your practice requires more stock, this will be available to order.

The Pfizer XBB.1.5 6 months to 4 years (MAROON) vaccine will be added to the Vaccination Program from 19 August 2024.

Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC):

From these pages you can access suites of resources to support you and your practice in delivering COVID-19 vaccinations.


Australian Immunisation Register (AIR):


The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI):


Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC)​ resources

 

Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ):

 

Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre:


Consumer Health Forum:


Also see the 'Where can I find the latest patient resources?' section of this website for resources written for consumers, including decision support guides. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program now ended

The COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program (CVTP) ended on 31 October 2023. CVTP training will no longer be mandatory for participation in the COVID-19 Vaccine Program.
 
COVID-19 reference resources, such as the COVID-19 Vaccines in Australia and ATAGI Recommended COVID-19 Vaccines Doses posters, will continue to be updated and available. For continued access to learning resources for COVID-19 vaccines, visit the DoHAC website on becoming a COVID-19 vaccine provider
 
All primary care sites participating in the COVID-19 Vaccine Program must continue to either:
 
  • hold a valid accreditation (or be undergoing accreditation) through the National General Practice Accreditation Scheme, or
  • administer vaccines as part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

Should you have any clinical questions regarding COVID-19 vaccine administrations, the Vaccine Operations Centre remains available on 1800 318 208 or at COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@Health.gov.au

 

Australian Immunisation Register patient reports for practices

Practices can now extract updated reports from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), giving greater visibility of patients' vaccination status, and therefore improving the follow-up process.

You can now download a report by practice (rather than by practitioner) showing patients who have yet to receive any doses of COVID-19 vaccines or who are now eligible, due or overdue for a booster dose.
 

Australian Immunisation Register reporting for children aged 5–11 years

Reporting a Pfizer vaccination for children aged 5–11 years in the Australian Immunisation Register is the same as for all other age cohorts.

When completing the report, use the vaccine code COMIRN.

Make sure to use the latest version of your clinical software to make sure it meets reporting requirements.

 

All MBS COVID-19 vaccine suitability assessment services must be bulk billed. You can bill this service to Medicare when you’ve assessed your patient and any of the following apply:

 

  • given them the vaccine

  • not given them the vaccine for clinical reasons

  • they don’t consent to the vaccine.

A list of all COVID-19 vaccine suitability assessment service item numbers is available via the RACGP MBS online tool

 

Educational resources for providers administering COVID-19 vaccines on MBS billing

Services Australia has published tailored infographics to support providers billing MBS COVID-19 vaccine suitability assessment items. 

The infographics clarify billing requirements for: 


A list of vaccine suitability assessment items for use by GPs and other medical practitioners can be viewed here

 

Patient resources:

Patients can access information on COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccine roll-out via the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) COVID-19 vaccine website. This is website is updated regularly as new information becomes available.

The DoH has developed resources that you can share with your patients. These are available from the DoHAC website.


Easy Read resources:

A series of fact sheets are available in Easy Read format.
 

Translated resources:

A series of resources are available in Auslan and in 63 community languages

 

 


Supporting COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 12 and over eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and are an identified priority population.  

To ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families are safe when lockdowns ends, increasing vaccination rates in these communities is critical. 

You can help increase vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by: 

  • ensuring your practice provides an opportunity for patients to identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and have their response recorded in your clinical information systems 

  • running a search of your practice records for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and checking their vaccination status via the Australian Immunisation Register or My Health Record 

  • contacting all eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and offering priority vaccination to ensure they are safe when lockdown ends 

  • If they say yes, book them in (if your practice is vaccinating) or let them know local vaccination centres and how to book 

  • If they say no, invite them in to discuss the vaccine. 

  • offering vaccination when patients attend for other reasons. 


The DoHAC has developed materials for vaccine providers to support you in communicating COVID-19 vaccine information with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. These are available via the DoHAC website and include: 

  • talking points to assist you in having conversations about COVID-19 vaccines 
  • video messages from Indigenous community leaders and testimonials by real people
  • social media assets, and
  • posters. 

COVID-19 vaccination information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is also available via the DoHAC website. 
 

You can support the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients by:  

  • ensuring your practice is welcoming and inclusive (see Step 1: Providing effective, culturally safe healthcare on the NACCHO/RACGP Resource Hub for advice) 
  • encouraging all practice staff to do cultural awareness training (offered free of charge to RACGP members and for a nominal fee for other practice staff via gplearning).     

 

Vaccine information for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities 

The Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) website has information available in 63 languages. To access these, filter via language and 'COVID-19 vaccines' in the left bar. 
 

National Coronavirus Helpline: In-language assistance

Culturally and linguistically diverse patients can now access in-language information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and book a vaccination appointment through the National Coronavirus Helpline.

The service is supported by Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) National, whose interpreters speak 150 languages. In-language resources can be sent to callers after the call.

To access this service, people can call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080 and select option 8 for interpreter services. 


Booking onsite interpreters

You can book onsite interpreters on weekends for COVID-19 vaccination purposes by emailing tis.freeinterpreting@homeaffairs.gov.au.
 

Vaccine access for Medicare-ineligible patients

If patients are not eligible for Medicare, providers can still supply COVID vaccines to these patients, but cannot bill for this service (Medicare or otherwise). 

Medicare ineligible people can receive the vaccine from any Commonwealth Vaccination Clinic or a state/territory vaccination hub.

 

Recording vaccination details in the Australian Immunisation Register for Medicare-ineligible patients

The Victorian Refugee Health Network, together with EACH, has developed a step-by-step guide to help you manually upload vaccine details to the Australian Immunisation Register for patients who are not eligible for Medicare.

Doing this will enable Medicare-ineligible people to access their proof-of-vaccination certificate.

Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations

Differing state and territory Public Health Orders are in place mandating COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers, some of which include and some of which exclude GPs. Please check the local requirements in your area:

If team members are affected by these orders and refuse to be vaccinated, they are not legally allowed to work at the premise and may be terminated. Each public health order outlines the process for exemptions.
 

Vaccinations for general practice

The RACGP considers that vaccination of healthcare workers supports the medical profession’s duty of care and builds vaccine confidence in the community. While not mandatory for general practice in all jurisdictions, the RACGP strongly encourages all GPs and members of the practice team to be vaccinated against COVID-19, for their own protection and the protection of their patients.  

If you, or your practice wishes to implement vaccination requirements for team members and you are in a jurisdiction where it is not mandatory by public health order, you must do so with great consideration and within the workplace laws outlined by your state or territory. Due consideration must be taken as to the risk an unvaccinated staff member is to the practice, what their role involves, their contact with other team members and patients and their access to and willingness to wear appropriate PPE.

The RACGP’s Standards for General Practices (5th edition) provide guidance on staff vaccination, but do not delve into legal requirements. Practices should seek individual legal advice from their MDO.

The RACGP recommends regularly updating practice staff immunisation policies to ensure any new recruits are aware of vaccination obligations and expectations during the recruitment process.

These situations are often intricate, and legal advice is always recommended. Please speak with your Medical Defence Organisation. 

  

People who have received an approved or recognised COVID-19 vaccine while overseas can have their vaccinations recorded in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) by an approved vaccination provider once they return to Australia.

Vaccination documentation must be provided in English (original or translated) and the person must be present during the consultation (either in person or via telehealth if eligible) to confirm the information provided.

You can request extra supporting information if you receive insufficient information or suspect fraudulent evidence has been provided. You are not required to report the vaccination to the AIR if you do not believe the evidence provided is sufficient.

You are encouraged to enter as much vaccine information as possible. You must report the:
  • brand name
  • dose number
  • date of administration
  • batch number
  • country of administration (for overseas-administered vaccines).
If you cannot confirm the batch number, you should enter ‘not recorded’ in that field. If you are unable to record the country of administration using your clinical information system (CIS), you can enter this information directly into the AIR website. Using the latest version of your clinical information system will help ensure reporting requirements are met.
 

COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme

The no-fault COVID-19 indemnity scheme opened to potential claimants on 13 December 2021 and will be backdated to February 2021.

The scheme reimburses people who suffer a moderate-to-significant impact following an adverse events following an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

A key aim of the scheme is to reduce the risk of legal action against a healthcare practitioner involved in the vaccination rollout. The scheme does not prevent someone from taking action through the courts – it has been designed as a streamlined alternative to court proceedings.

A number of resources on the scheme are available on the DoH’s website:

 

Professional indemnity coverage through your MDO

If you hold a professional indemnity policy and your scope of practice includes prescribing or administering vaccines, you will be covered in a similar way to other vaccination programs in the event of an adverse reaction following vaccination. Contact your MDO directly regarding your coverage.

 

Department of Health (DoH) resources

You can subscribe to receive DoHAC updates. 
 

Therapeutic Goods Administration resources

 

CoRiCal: Covid Risk Calculator

The Immunisation Coalition has developed a risk calculator tool and other tools to help people who are unsure about COVID-19 vaccination assess the risks and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, alongside the risk from COVID-19 infection, including long-COVID.

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