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2012 government seasonal influenza vaccine information

Influenza vaccine information

How much vaccine did I use last year?

Check your total number of influenza vaccines delivered last year and view your pre-allocation of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines:

 2011 Total influenza vaccine distribution

 Influenza and Pneumococcal vaccine pre-allocation - 2012

Eligible groups for free government supplied seasonal influenza vaccine

  • 65 years of age and over
  • Pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy
  • Indigenous people 15 years of age and over
  • Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
  • Any person 6 months of age and over with a chronic condition predisposing to severe influenza illness that requires regular medical follow-up or hospitalisation such as:
    • cardiac disease
    • respiratory disease including severe asthmatics
    • kidney disease
    • diabetes
    • impaired immunity
    • neuromuscular disease
  • Homeless people.

The 2012 influenza vaccine strains

  • A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-pdm09-like virus
  • A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus
  • B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

The 2012 government supplied influenza vaccine brands are:

  • Fluvax® (CSL Biotherapies)
  • Vaxigrip® and Vaxigrip Junior (Sanofi-aventis)
  • Fluarix® (GSK).
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Seaonal influenza vaccine - summarised information for providers

 Influenza vaccine information fact sheet - 2012

Pneumococcal (Pneumovax 23®) vaccine recommendations, summarised information for providers

 Pneumococcal vaccine - Fact sheet 2012

The following summarises the new Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommendations for the use of Pneumovax 23® in adults:

  • A single dose of Pneumovax 23® should be given to Australian adults at 65 years of age. Every effort should be made to provide a dose to anyone aged >65 years who has not previously received a dose of Pneumovax 23®. 
  • For non-Indigenous adults aged >65 years who do not have any condition that predisposes them to an increased risk of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease (IPD) (see Table A in the fact sheet), a repeat dose of Pneumovax 23® is no longer recommended. 
  • For adults aged ≥65 years who have a condition that predisposes them to an increased risk of IPD (see Table A in the fact sheet), a second dose (a single revaccination) of Pneumovax 23® is recommended. This dose is to be given ≥five years after the first dose. (The recommendation for this population subgroup is unchanged.)
  • Recommendations for the use of Pneumovax 23® in those <65 years, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) adolescents and adults, are unchanged from the 9th edition of The Australian Immunisation Handbook.

For more information

Visit the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website statements regarding influenza vaccines.

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