The winter influenza season has arrived and the role of general practice is critical. Gippsland PHN is here to support you and your practice as you prepare for flu season, while continuing to respond to outbreaks of COVID-19.
The Victorian Department of Health started the distribution of National Immunisation Program influenza vaccines to immunisation providers on the 17 March 2023.
Free seasonal influenza vaccine is funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for the groups at higher risk of complications from influenza, detailed in the 2023 Influenza vaccination – Program advice for vaccination providers.
Improve uptake in National Immunisation Program (NIP) eligible people including:
Focus upon infants and young children aged 6 months to <5 years due to:
The department’s Seasonal Influenza vaccine webpage has been updated with links to clinical resources, an eLearning module and guidance to support immunisation providers with the requirements of the influenza program. Bookmark this page, which will be regularly updated throughout the season.
The department also provides updates via the Immunisation newsletter: Subscribe to alerts, advisories and newsletters | health.vic.gov.au.
The Australian Department of Health has developed resources and information for immunisation providers and consumers: Getting vaccinated against influenza – Resource collection | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Influenza (flu) – immunisation – Better Health Channel also provides up to date influenza vaccination information for consumers.
During this season, the department will be conducting data surveillance of encounters reported to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to identify and respond to provision of Influenza vaccine against registration/indication for age.
Providers are encouraged to report adverse events following immunisation(AEFI) and vaccine errors to SAFEVIC (the Surveillance of adverse events following vaccination in the community) for assessment and expert advice.
To support general practices in Gippsland to prepare for the likely increase in influenza and COVID-19 cases, Gippsland PHN offers a range of digital health tools and resources that can help general practices establish workflows that benefit patients and practices and help keep patients safe and well.
Gippsland PHN resources:
Our Gippsland HealthPathways team works to ensure GPs and other health professionals can quickly access the latest influenza information at the point of care.
Relevant pages include:
For further support, please also see the pathway suites for:
Access to Gippsland HealthPathways is limited to health professionals within Gippsland. For more information, email digitalhealth@gphn.org.au
As we enter the cooler months, it is important for your practice to consider and implement winter preparedness activities to ensure the health and safety of your patients and practice team.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has prepared the Winter Planning Toolkit highlights key priorities and principles of:
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Gippsland PHN is committed to providing inclusive services and work environments where people of all backgrounds, sexualities, genders, cultures, spiritual beliefs, age, bodies and abilities are valued, supported and celebrated.
Gippsland PHN acknowledges the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people/s as the traditional Custodians of Country across the Gippsland region.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people/s continuing connection to Land, Water and Community.
We pay our respects to the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People/s, Cultures, and their Elders past and present.
We also recognise, respect and affirm the central role played in our work by people with lived experience, their families and/or carers.
Gippsland PHN acknowledges Alfie Hudson for the healing circles artwork. Alfie is a Gunai Kurnai man and created this artwork which represents health professionals being committed to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members for the best health outcomes.
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