Australian Immunisation Handbook 10th Edition – 2015 Update

The 2015 update to The Australian Immunisation Handbook 10th Edition is now available on the Department of Health website.

The update contains amendments to 24 chapters including changes to clinical recommendations, as well as clarifications and the inclusion of new factual information. Major changes were made to five chapters:

• Annual influenza vaccine is now recommended for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and individuals with a BMI ≥40 and / or chronic liver disease;
• Updated recommendations on the use of Japanese encephalitis vaccines including for booster doses;
• The entire meningococcal disease chapter has been updated to take into account the incorporation of the new multicomponent meningococcal B vaccine, Bexsero^® which is now available on the private market;
• Pertussis vaccine is now recommended for infants at 18 months of age and for pregnant women; and
• Recommendations on the use of herpes zoster vaccine are broken down by new age groups.