Healthy North Coast was delighted to partner with North Coast Public Health for the most recent round of clinical society gatherings, where more than 350 health professionals joined forces to learn and gain knowledge on immunisation updates.
With the 2024 flu season kicking off, a new shingles vaccine available, and immunisation schedule changes, it was the perfect time to deliver current education across the North Coast footprint, particularly as the majority of vaccinations are provided in primary care settings.
The roadshow took place in seven locations: Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Casino, Tweed Heads, and Ballina. Carolyn Lloyd, Immunisation Coordinator and Clinical Nurse Consultant for North Coast Public Health, joined the events.
The sessions focused on the importance of immunisation providers staying current on the best available vaccines for adults and children and changes to immunisation schedules.
‘I love presenting the immunisation updates; it is so lovely to put so many faces to the names of people who we speak with regularly throughout the year,’ Ms Lloyd said.
‘I am really proud of the NCPPHDD (North Coast Population and Public Health Directorate) Immunisation Team’s collaboration with HNC. It is so wonderful how supportive HNC are of immunisation programs in the North Coast footprint.’
Attending the face-to-face events were 352 GPs, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals. As well as increasing knowledge, guests enjoyed delicious catering in a relaxed environment, catching up with friends and making new connections with colleagues.
Feedback suggests the education was delivered in an enjoyable, entertaining and informative way. Attendees gained insights on local immunisation trends and how to optimise available resources for better immunisation practices in primary care. Plus, they were able to network with colleagues and peers!
The evening ended with an insightful discussion on optimal practices in cold chain management, crucial for maintaining the integrity and efficacy of vaccines throughout the storage and administration process.
Top takeaways
If you missed the chance to attend this education event, Ms Lloyd has provided some top takeaways:
1
Influenza and COVID-19 are serious respiratory viruses that need to be a priority for immunisation over the next couple of months.
2
Children’s immunisations, including influenza vaccinations, are particularly important. After several years of having our borders closed and being under pandemic precautions, we are seeing an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases such as whooping cough and cases of measles. It is crucial to keep children up to date with scheduled immunisations.
3
Offer vaccines routinely. Consider shingles and pneumococcal vaccines at the same appointment where appropriate.
4
Immunisation is safe and effectual in pregnancy. A pertussis vaccine in pregnancy reduces the new babies’ risk of contracting pertussis (whooping cough) by up to 90% in the first weeks of life. It is very important that pregnant people stay up to date with their recommended vaccines, as we see a return of pertussis (whooping cough) cases in the community.
5
And – please get your flu shots as soon as your provider has them available!!
In other immunisation news
Healthy North Coast recently had a 100% uptake in the Understanding Vaccines and the National Immunisation Program, with 100 immunisation nurses now enrolled in the online course aimed to equip health professionals with knowledge and skills to competently deliver a high quality and safe immunisation service.
Want to stay up to date on immunisation?
- Don’t miss Healthy North Coast immunisation events by bookmarking our Events page.
- Sign up to your local clinical society for news and being connected to primary care colleagues in your local region.
- If you are looking for a resource hub for health professionals on immunisation, visit hnc.org.au/immunisation
- Listen to interesting topics on your lunch break or over a coffee by jumping into our Webinar Library to watch past webinars!
Pictured above: Kempsey Clinical Society - Immunisation Survival Guide for GPs, Nurses and Pharmacists on 20 March 2024. Venue: The Garden Bar, Frederickton.