LABORS PLAN TO PROTECT THE NEWCASTLE COMMUNITY: MORE VACCINATIONS IN PHARMACIES

On Monday 30 July,NSW Shadow Health Minister, The Hon Walt Secord, and Member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp MP made the following announcement on behalf of NSW Labor:

A Foley Labor Government will increase the range of vaccinations available through pharmacies further protecting the community.

Under the plan, from September 1, 2019, NSW pharmacies will be able to provide vaccinations for:

The dTpa vaccine diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis); and

The MMR vaccine measles, mumps and rubella.

This will bring NSW into line with South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. It is in addition to the current regime where qualified pharmacies are able to provide influenza vaccinations.

In 2015, Labor pledged to allow pharmacies to provide commercial influenza shots. Shortly afterwards, the then-Health Minister Jillian Skinner matched the pledge.

This was after representations from The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord and State Labor Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp visited a local Newcastle pharmacy to make the announcement. They made the official announcement at Piggotts Pharmacy on Glebe in Hamilton South.

The vaccinations are provided by trained community pharmacists.

Globally, vaccination rates in western developed societies including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States have started to decline. In NSW, we have lower than acceptable vaccination rates in Sydneys east and the northern beaches and on the States north coast.

Last year was one of the worst years in recent memory for influenza in Australia. In NSW, there were 128,000 confirmed cases of influenza and more than 650 people died. However, figures are lower this year, but the height of the flu season is still ahead.





Hunter-New England Local Health District


January 1 July 27, 2018


January 1 July 30, 2017




Influenza


345


2,111




Pertussis (whopping cough)


62


94




Mumps


3


2





The pharmacy-led vaccinations in NSW have been a success. A NSW analysis found that 15 per cent of those seeking vaccinations in pharmacies had never received one before. Forty-three per cent of vaccine recipients were in the 18 to 49 year age group.

The age limit from pharmacy vaccinations will remain at 18.

Pharmacists who are qualified to administer vaccines must complete an accredited training course to administer the vaccinations and have a current certificate in first aid, CPR and responding to anaphylaxis.

NSW has been one of the most conservative jurisdictions in Australia on expanding vaccinations into pharmacies.





SA


QLD


NT


ACT


VIC


WA


TAS


NSW




Influenza


Influenza


Influenza


Influenza


Influenza


Influenza


Influenza


Influenza




dTpa


dTpa


dTpa


dTpa


dTpa


dTpa










MMR


MMR


MMR



















Polio (in conjunction with dTpa)


























Overall Australia lags behind a number of comparable nations in regard to pharmacy-led vaccinations including the United States and the United Kingdom, which go as far as undertaking travel vaccinations like cholera, hepatitis, polio, typhoid and encephalitis.

It would complement the current vaccination programs, reaching people who do not normally have vaccinations.