Health professionals including general practitioners, pharmacists and nurses have a vital role to play in reducing the risk to the community from epidemic thunderstorm asthma events.
Optimising diagnosis, clinical care and self-management of asthma and hay fever is the key to responding to the risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma events. Such an approach will decrease the impact of any subsequent events while also improving the overall health and wellbeing of people with these conditions in between events.
Health professionals can access epidemic thunderstorm asthma training programs and resources, including:
- an epidemic thunderstorm asthma information for health professionals
- a thunderstorm asthma flowchart for
- a checklist for emergency departments and urgent care centres to facilitate self-assessment and gap analysis of preparedness for an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event. This checklist should be read in conjunction with COVID-19 clinical advice, including the Assessment and streaming in emergency departments and urgent care guidance.
- information to support community pharmacies to prepare their pharmacies and clients for the risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma – Epidemic thunderstorm asthma - Let’s all be prepared: Information for community pharmacies.
Additional resources are also available from the National Asthma .
The department has also published two reports that provide useful background information for health professionals:
- The November 2016 Victorian epidemic thunderstorm asthma event: an assessment of the health impacts - a report by Victoria's Chief Health Officer
- Literature review on thunderstorm asthma and its implications for public health advice
Downloadable resources to share with consumers are available from the campaign toolkit section on this page.
Translated consumer materials can be found on the Thunderstorm asthma – multicultural resource page.
Thunderstorm asthma specific resources are available from the Downloads section on this page. For COVID-19 clinical advice and resources, visit Clinical guidance and resources - COVID-19.
Reviewed 23 October 2021