PHARMACISTS in New South Wales have now been added to the cohort of accredited immunisers able to deliver a wider range of injections, including those for measles and whooping cough, for anyone over the age of 16.
The new arrangements were announced in Oct last year (PD 25 Oct breaking news) by Health Minister Brad Hazzard, and came into effect yesterday creating a "new era of accessibility of vaccination for all residents, even in rural and regional areas".
Trained NSW pharmacist vaccinators can now give both the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough combination vaccine and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, in addition to the flu vaccine, to people over 16.
Qualified pharmacists have established private rooms on the pharmacy premises with trained pharmacists conducting pre-jab assessments to assess each person's current health status.
Once administered, the shots are reported to the Australian Immunisation Register as a matter of course.
Hazzard said the record high rates of vaccination in NSW are a great public health achievement.
"Now, with this additional range of vaccinations available from pharmacists, we want to encourage new grandparents, carers of infants, and partners of pregnant women to get vaccinated to ensure they don't catch whooping cough and pass it on to their babies," Hazzard said.
"NSW has achieved its highest vaccination rates ever and is spending a record $22.75 million in 2018-19 on state-wide immunisation programs."
"People eligible for free government-funded vaccines, including children under five, Aboriginal people, those with chronic illnesses, pregnant women and people over 65 will still need to access these vaccines via their GP, so they can get a health assessment at the same time," Hazzard added.
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