Immunisation

For Clinicians

• Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide – Immunisation
• Australian Government Department of Health – Vaccination for migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia. Information about assessing the vaccination status of children and adults entering Australia
• Free catch-up vaccines for all –  Australian Government Dept Health
• The Queensland Immunisation Schedule
• AIR – Medical Exemption Form – GPs use this form to notify an individual’s vaccination exemption due to a medical contraindication or a natural immunity.
• Best practice guidelines for immunising a person from a refugee background (Jones, M. & Strikis, A)  Mater Health Services (October, 2017). Download the Poster here.
• Pre-immunisation checklist – a checklist for immunisation providers to use to decide the best immunisation schedule for a patient. Available in different languages: Arabic, Burnmese, Dari, Farsi, Karen, Somali, Ukrainian, etc.
• How to submit information to the AIR for a non-Medicare individual -Department of Health and Aged Care

How to submit information to the AIR for a non-Medicare individual

Individuals who aren’t enrolled in Medicare or don’t have an Individual Healthcare Identifier can have their vaccinations recorded on the AIR by a provider in one of three ways:  by entry on the AIR secure site, by using practice management software or by using an official AIR form uploaded via Health Professional Online Services (HPOS).

Using the AIR site

Check if a record already exists
To prevent a duplicate record from being created, you can search the AIR for an existing record by entering the surname, first name and date of birth of the individual. The AIR will display the individual’s details if a record exists, and a new encounter can then be recorded. If you can’t find a unique match, conduct another search and also include the individual’s postcode.

Create a new record if one doesn’t already exist
If there isn’t a match after conducting a thorough search, a new record can be created by following the instructions: Create a new record.
Important: You will need to record a vaccination to create a new record.

Using software
Some software will transmit vaccination encounters for non-Medicare individuals to the AIR. Your software developer can provide further advice about this process.

Using a form uploaded via HPOS
Providers without access to the AIR site or relevant software can record vaccination details using an official AIR form uploaded via HPOS.
Important: It can take up to 14 days to update an individual’s AIR record when a vaccination encounter is submitted using a form.

Where providers have difficulty submitting a vaccination contact the AIR on 1800 653 809.

Under the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015 (Cth), it is mandatory to report all influenza, COVID-19, National Immunisation Program and Japanese encephalitis virus vaccines to the AIR. Further information about the AIR is available on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Resources for patients

• Australian Government Department of Health – Following vaccination – what to expect and what to do – Pictorial tip sheet for patients
• Health Translations – Immunisation (bilingual version) available in different languages: Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Somali, Nepali, Swahili, etc.

Useful Immunisation information from Interstate
Catch-up immunisation for refugees and asylum seekers: Information for immunisation providers
Immunisation: Information for case workers and health service staff
The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne: Catch up Immunisation in Refugees
Catch Up Immunisation – Dr Christine Phillips (2007)