Immunisation

Latest News and Support

Annual NBMPHN Immunisation Update

We hosted an online immunisation webinar ahead of the release of the seasonal influenza vaccines. The Penrith Public Health Unit provided an immunisation ‘report card’ for the region, and guest speakers presented topical immunisation information. 

The 2024 Annual Immunisation webinar held on Wednesday, 20 March 2024, is available below.

Pre-vaccination Screening

Immunisation providers need to comprehensively screen everyone who wants to be vaccinated. Live parenteral vaccines can be given at the same time as another live parenteral vaccine, or they must be given at least four weeks apart. Live vaccines must not be administered to pregnant or significantly immunocompromised patients. The following are listed as live vaccines under the Australian Immunisation Handbook:

• Live vaccines include:

  • BCG (bacille Calmette-Guérin)
  • some Japanese encephalitis virus vaccines
  • MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) 
  • rotavirus
  • varicella 
  • yellow fever 
  • zoster (Zostavax) 

For more information about vaccines, refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook website.

Penrith Public Health Unit

The Penrith Public Health Unit (PHU) is based at the Nepean Hospital. During business hours, contact Penrith PHU at (02) 4734 2022. After hours, contact Nepean Hospital at (02) 4734 2000 and ask for the Public Health Officer on call.

NSW Immunisation Schedule

NSW Health has the current schedule available on their website. There is also a NSW Childhood Immunisation Schedule for Primary and Community Health, which includes helpful images of immunisation packaging for childhood immunisations.

NSW Vaccine Centre Online Ordering System

All vaccines under the National Immunisation Program are ordered via Toll Healthcare at the NSW Vaccine Centre. The NSW Immunisation Unit has assembled a helpful Ordering vaccines resource. You can contact the NSW Vaccine centre on 1300 656 132.

National Immunisation Program (NIP)

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule is a series of immunisations given at specific times throughout a person’s life. The immunisations range from birth through to adulthood. The Department of Health and Aged Care's website provides details of the NIP Schedule,  catch-up immunisations, state and territory schedules, and international immunisation schedules.

The NIP also has a Following Vaccination – What to Expect and What to do Factsheet.This can be ordered as a tear-off A4 pad and provides easy-to-read information on common vaccine reactions.

Immunisation Questions Answered

The Department of Health and Aged Care has a page dedicated to answering questions people have about immunisations. On the About Immunisation page people can find information on how immunisations protects them and their family, and how to get started. This page may assist health professionals in breaking down immunisation information and initiating conversations with people who may be vaccine hesitant. It also links health professionals to the Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) webpage, which aims to support conversations that community members have with health professionals about vaccination.

Resources on Other Vaccinations

Pneumococcal Immunisation

The Immunisation Coalition has developed the PneumoSmart Vaccination Tool based on the pneumococcal disease vaccination recommendations in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

Shingles (herpes zoster) Immunisation

From 1 November 2023, Shingrix replaced Zostavax on the NIP. The NSW Immunisation Schedule was updated, and NSW Health has detailed information on immunisation schedule changes for November 2023. The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has a factsheet on frequently asked questions for zoster vaccines.

Meningococcal B (Bexsero) Immunisation

NCIRS have assembled a visually engaging reference for healthcare providers to facilitate conversations about meningococcal B vaccination. The resource has a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.