News

COVID-19 Vaccination information and resources for GPs

Published 13 January 2022

A range of information resources are provided here to support GPs as they vaccinate patients and prepare to care for COVID-19 patients in the community.

Department of Health resources:

Managing COVID-19 at Home - Resources for patients and healthcare professionals

With a highly vaccinated population, most COVID-positive people are unlikely to get severely unwell or require hospitalisation and will be able to manage their symptoms at home – where clinically safe and appropriate to do so. These tools can help people living with COVID to know what actions they may need to take and when they may need to seek further medical help. The Department of Health has also provided links to a range of clinical guidelines published by the RACGP and the National COVID-19 Evidence Taskforce to support GPs to manage and monitor their COVID-positive patients in the community.

For everyone:

National Coronavirus Hotline

1800 020 080

For information about COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccines – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Vaccine Clinic Finder

Book a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic near you that suits your needs.

COVID Symptom Checker

Find out if you need to get tested or seek medical help.

Restriction Checker

Find out what you can and can’t do in your state or territory.

Managing Mild COVID-19 at Home with Assistance from your GP

For patients who have tested positive to COVID-19 and are being cared for at home with assistance from their GP.

Healthdirect Australia

Guidance for people that have tested positive to COVID-19, including links to specific information for states and territories.

Vaccine Side Effect Checker

Check any side effects after your vaccination.

For healthcare professionals:

Guidelines for the clinical management of  COVID-positive people in the community

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners  (RACGP)

Information for GPs and their patients to manage their ongoing health and social issues amid the pandemic, including home-based care guidelines. These guidelines include:

Guidelines for assessment and risk stratification of  COVID-positive people - National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce

Evidence-based clinical guidelines for Australia’s healthcare professionals, including clinical flowcharts.

Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA)

National advice and guidance for public health units responding to a notifiable disease event, including links to specific information for states and territories.

Guidance on Ordering and PPE Distribution via PHNs

For information on what PPE is available and how to order please contact your local PHN.

Guidance on the use of PPE for Health Care Workers

Guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers in the context of COVID-19.

Videos on PPE Usage

Guidance on Community Care Pathways and Patient Escalation

For information on how to escalate COVID-positive patients in your care, please contact your PHN for details of their community care pathway.

Find your local Primary Health Network

Media Releases

The Department of Health has also published several collections of resources about COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine rollout, and clinical guidance from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). These resources are updated when new information is available, so GPs should ensure they have access to the latest versions.

Administering doses to paediatric cohorts

Health practitioners are reminded to complete the relevant training (Pfizer (COMIRNATY) Paediatric (5 to <12 Years) COVID-19 Vaccine Training Module) before vaccinating paediatric groups as doses are different from adolescents/adults.

A standalone resource has been developed for parents/guardians of children aged 5 to 11 years which includes information about COVID-19 vaccination and a consent form for this cohort, available here: COVID-19 vaccine information and consent form for parents and guardians of children aged 5 to 11 years | Australian Government Department of Health

Multi-dose vial guidance has also been updated to reflect the Comirnaty (Pfizer) paediatric formulation and is available here:  COVID-19 vaccination –  ATAGI guidance on the use of multi-dose vials for COVID-19 vaccination | Australian Government Department of Health

New Booster Incentive Payment

On 22 December, the Australian Government announced a temporary booster incentive payment which will be made available to all primary care providers through their existing MBS payment mechanisms (or equivalent payment for CVCs). The introduction of this payment has been effective from 23 December 2021 and will cease on 30 June 2022.

MBS item 93666 is being implemented to provide an incentive payment of $10 per eligible vaccine suitability assessment service to patients receiving a COVID-19 booster vaccination.

This new booster incentive payment recognises the important role primary care has played in supporting the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Program. The payment will be co-claimed with an existing dose 2 item, when providing a booster or third dose to an eligible person.

From 23 December 2021 all primary care providers have been able to receive a $10 incentive payment per booster vaccine administered through a General Practice (GP), Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS), Commonwealth Vaccination Clinic (CVC) or Community Pharmacy (CP) under the COVID-19 Vaccine Program.

Any boosters already administered will not attract this additional incentive, as payment will not be retrospective.

GPs will be able to claim the $10 booster incentive payment through the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

Community pharmacies and CVCs will receive an equivalent payment through existing arrangements. Further information about the MBS item and claiming can be found here.

Update on Pfizer (12+) increases

Due to the high demand for vaccines over the holiday period, all Pfizer 12 years+ (Purple) primary care sites with orders arriving in the week ending 7 January 2022 or 14 January 2022 will include a one-off top-up of additional doses.

All primary care sites that have placed orders scheduled to arrive in the week ending 14 January 2022 will be provided an extra 240 doses of Pfizer (12 years+).

You can view your orders at any time under the Orders tab in CVAS.

Should your order not have changed in the CVAS and you require additional vaccine you can contact the Vaccine Operations Centre on 1800 318 208 or COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@health.gov.au.

If your practice requires vaccine stock more urgently, you should reach out to any nearby vaccination sites administering COVID-19 vaccines that may have excess doses available for redistribution.

If you do not require the increased allocation, please remember that you are able to skip your next order, or refer to the  Transfer of Vaccines policy.

Ordering

A reminder the normal ordering cycle for all vaccines resumed on 1 January 2022 and all sites ordering are now reset to a fortnightly ordering cycle.


Appointments

While there is currently increased demand for appointments, there is also increased demand for deliveries. Practices are reminded that where they have requested additional orders, they should not book appointments until confirmation of additional doses has been received.

VOC Holiday Opening Hours

The Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) operating hours will continue in a reduced schedule of 7am to 9pm (AEDT) from Saturday 18 December 2021 to Sunday 30 January 2022.

Enquiries can still be made to the VOC during these reduced hours on 1800 318 208 or emailing covid19vaccineoperationscentre@health.gov.au.

Excess doses

The Taskforce is continuing to actively work with vaccination providers to manage excess vaccine stock on hand and encourages practices to continue reaching out to their local networks to assist with identifying and transferring excess vaccines to sites that are able to use them.

The Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) operating hours have been reduced to 7am to 9pm (AEDT) until Sunday 30 January 2022. A dedicated team in the VOC has been established to support transfer of doses between sites during this period.

If practices are unable to relocate excess doses locally, please contact the VOC on 1800 318 208 during the VOC operational hours or email: covid19vaccineoperationscentre@health.gov.au for assistance.

In some instances, the VOC may be able to arrange collection of excess doses for redistribution to another site. Proposed collection orders will be assessed for suitability, taking into consideration shelf life, time in transit, and clinic location. Practices will need to provide the VOC with details about excess stock, including batch number, expiry date and number of excess doses, to be considered as part of this assessment.

Once assessed, practices will be contacted only if the VOC is able to assist with collection. When assessing the suitability of stock for collection, please note that the VOC can only accept:

  • 20 vials or more of Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca)

  • 10 vials or more of Comirnaty (Pfizer)

  • 10 vials or more of Spikevax (Moderna).

Please dispose of all expired vaccines and report in CVAS as normal.

Please note that while every effort will be made to collect or redistribute excess vaccines, it is not possible to collect and redistribute them in all circumstances. Over the January period, it may be more difficult to collect excess vaccines and we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Pfizer and Moderna – thaw use-by date vs manufacture

It is vital that sites are aware of the differences between the thaw use-by date and the manufacture expiry date for the mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer):

  • The manufacture expiry date on the vial indicates the expiry for that batch of the product.

  • The thaw/defrost use-by date is the final date that the product can be used after it has been removed from the freezer or ultra-low storage to commence thawing.

Whichever date is earliest is the latest date the vaccines can be administered to a patient.

All sites should have clearly labelled and visible thaw use-by dates for each vial – noting these will be different for subsequent deliveries. Both the thaw use-by dates and the manufacture expiry date should be checked prior to every vaccine administration.

Please ensure your site has clear processes to identify and action these dates to prevent vaccine administration errors.

Vaccine Clinic Finder update

There is a scheduled update to the Commonwealth’s  Vaccine Clinic Finder (VCF)e to take place COB Monday 10th January 2022.

Changes include:

  • An update to eligibility: all people in Australia aged 5 years or older will be eligible for free COVID-19 vaccination (as at 10th January 2022)

  • An update to messaging regarding interval duration for boosters and third doses as per recent ATAGI announcements.

Requirements for workers in health care settings who are exposed to COVID-19

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), with advice from the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) and the Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG), has endorsed a Worker Permissions and Restrictions Framework for Workers in Health Care Settings.

The framework outlines nationally agreed recommendations that will support safe decision making when determining appropriate workplace restrictions and permissions for a worker exposed to COVID-19. The framework provides guidance on how GPs and practice staff can avoid having to isolate after a patient who attended the practice later tests positive to COVID-19.

The Worker Permissions and Restrictions Framework is available here.

Vaccine product information

  • ATAGI and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) have released joint guidance on the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis following Pfizer vaccination following an observed risk in overseas studies, especially in males under 30 years of age after the second doses. The Pfizer Product Information has been updated to reflect this.

  • The Product Information (PI) for the AstraZeneca vaccine has been updated to include Capillary Leak Syndrome (CLS) as a contraindication for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Providers should be aware of the information contained in the PI and individuals with a known history of CLS should not be vaccinated with AstraZeneca.

Consent forms

  1. Consent form: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-consent-form-for-covid-19-vaccination

Patient information sheets

  1. Information on AstraZeneca: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-information-on-covid-19-astrazeneca-vaccine

  2. Information on Pfizer: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-information-on-covid-19-pfizer-comirnaty-vaccine

  3. Information on Spikevax (Moderna): https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-information-on-spikevax-moderna-covid-19-vaccine

  4. After your AstraZeneca: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-after-your-astrazeneca-vaccine

  5. After your Pfizer: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-after-your-pfizer-comirnaty-vaccine

  6. After your Spikevax (Moderna): https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-after-your-spikevax-moderna-vaccine

  7. Provider information on consent: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-consent-information-for-providers-covid-19-vaccination-consent-and-faqs

  8. Frequently asked questions on the Taskforce Ivermectin recommendation: https://covid19evidence.net.au/wp-content/uploads/NC19CET-Ivermectin-FAQs-20210826.pdf

Clinical guidance and decision guides

  1. ATAGI Clinical guidance: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-atagi-clinical-guidance-on-covid-19-vaccine-in-australia-in-2021

  2. COVID-19 vaccine – Clinical considerations: https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/information-for-covid-19-vaccination-providers/covid-19-vaccine-clinical-considerations

  3. Selection of second dose in specific circumstances: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-clinical-advice-on-the-use-of-a-different-covid-19-vaccine-as-the-second-dose

  4. Shared decision making guide – pregnancy: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-shared-decision-making-guide-for-women-who-are-pregnant-breastfeeding-or-planning-pregnancy

  5. Shared decision making guide – frail older people: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-shared-decision-making-guide-for-frail-older-people-including-those-in-residential-aged-care-facilities 

  6. Shared decision making guide – palliative care: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-shared-decision-making-guide-for-people-receiving-palliative-care-or-end-of-life-care 

  7. Shared decision making guide – immunocompromise: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/atagi-covid-19-vaccination-shared-decision-making-guide-for-people-with-immunocompromise

  8. Provider guide on immunocompromise: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/atagi-provider-guide-to-covid-19-vaccination-of-people-with-immunocompromise

  9. Primary care guide on TTS: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-primary-care-approach-to-thrombosis-with-thrombocytopenia-syndrome-after-covid-19-astrazeneca-vaccine

  10. Provider information – TTS: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-information-for-immunisation-providers-on-thrombosis-with-thrombocytopenia-syndrome-tts-following-covid-19-vaccination  

  11. Patient information – TTS: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/patient-information-sheet-on-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-and-thrombosis-with-thrombocytopenia-syndrome-tts

  12. COVID-19 vaccination – Guide to engage and support aged care workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-vaccination-guide-to-engage-and-support-aged-care-workers-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine

Resources for doctors working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients

  • Updated guidance on TGA advertising restrictions, explaining how you can inform your patients about different vaccine brands availability in your clinic. This includes social, posters and web content.

  • A video animation in plain English that could be sent to your patients’ emails or used in your clinic waiting room explaining what to expect on your vaccination day, side effects and the need for two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • A suite of talking points designed for healthcare workers, to assist them with having conversations with patients about COVID-19 vaccines.

  • Updated social resources with suggested captions to use across your social media networks

Resources for doctors about pregnancy

Existing resources

Members are also reminded that if you are part of the vaccine roll out and have any problems, the key point of contact in the Commonwealth to raise these is the Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) that can be contacted on:

Phone: 1800 318 308

Email: COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@health.gov.au

Note: The VOC hours of operation are between 7am to 10pm (AEDT).

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