To avoid further delays in making the vaccine available, some Medical Officers of Health have endorsed the supply of the BCG vaccine in their regions under Section 29 of the Medicines Act 1981. Section 29 permits the sale or supply to medical practitioners of medicines that have not been approved. Please check with your local public health service to see if they have recommenced their BCG vaccine clinics. ADT Booster (Td) vaccine shortage There is currently a shortage of ADT Booster vaccine, which is offered at ages 45 and 65 years and for tetanus prone wounds. PHARMAC have advised that Boostrix (Tdap) may be used in the short term as a replacement for ADT Booster once your existing ADT Booster stocks have been used. ADT Booster vaccine stock is expected to arrive at the end of September. No safety concerns are expected with the use of Tdap instead of Td. Refer to the tetanus chapter in the Immunisation Handbook 2014 for more information. Influenza The publicly funded influenza programme closed on 31 August 2014. Influenza vaccine remains available for people not eligible for free immunisation, but they must pay for it. All claims for funded vaccines must be submitted by 20 December 2014. Claims will not be accepted after this date. An eligible child under 9 years of age who has never previously been vaccinated against influenza is recommended to have two doses of the vaccine. If the first dose was given in August, the second dose may be given in September and will be funded. An immunisation payment claim for a child’s second dose given in September will need to be submitted manually. A refund will be provided for a total of 10 units of unused stock of seasonal influenza vaccine, either Influvac or Fluarix (only one brand, not both) from any one account returned by 30 September 2014. For further information on ordering the funded vaccines, please phone Healthcare Logistics Customer Services on 0508 425 358. For further information regarding the programme please call 0800 IMMUNE. Additional information about the current influenza situation is available at . Four year old immunisation recalls It is important that all four year olds receive their immunisations to protect them from diseases like measles. At the 1 July schedule change the PMS and NIR recalls were brought forward by six months. PMSs now recall at four years one month and the NIR recalls at four years six months. If you have any queries about anything in this update, please email .
To avoid further delays in making the vaccine available, some Medical Officers of Health have endorsed the supply of the BCG vaccine in their regions under Section 29 of the Medicines Act 1981. Section 29 permits the sale or supply to medical practitioners of medicines that have not been approved. Please check with your local public health service to see if they have recommenced their BCG vaccine clinics. ADT Booster (Td) vaccine shortage There is currently a shortage of ADT Booster vaccine, which is offered at ages 45 and 65 years and for tetanus prone wounds. PHARMAC have advised that Boostrix (Tdap) may be used in the short term as a replacement for ADT Booster once your existing ADT Booster stocks have been used. ADT Booster vaccine stock is expected to arrive at the end of September. No safety concerns are expected with the use of Tdap instead of Td. Refer to the tetanus chapter in the Immunisation Handbook 2014 for more information. Influenza The publicly funded influenza programme closed on 31 August 2014. Influenza vaccine remains available for people not eligible for free immunisation, but they must pay for it. All claims for funded vaccines must be submitted by 20 December 2014. Claims will not be accepted after this date. An eligible child under 9 years of age who has never previously been vaccinated against influenza is recommended to have two doses of the vaccine. If the first dose was given in August, the second dose may be given in September and will be funded. An immunisation payment claim for a child’s second dose given in September will need to be submitted manually. A refund will be provided for a total of 10 units of unused stock of seasonal influenza vaccine, either Influvac or Fluarix (only one brand, not both) from any one account returned by 30 September 2014. For further information on ordering the funded vaccines, please phone Healthcare Logistics Customer Services on 0508 425 358. For further information regarding the programme please call 0800 IMMUNE. Additional information about the current influenza situation is available at . Four year old immunisation recalls It is important that all four year olds receive their immunisations to protect them from diseases like measles. At the 1 July schedule change the PMS and NIR recalls were brought forward by six months. PMSs now recall at four years one month and the NIR recalls at four years six months. If you have any queries about anything in this update, please email .
immunisation_update_august_2014.docx