General vaccination / immunisation information
Immunisation schedules
Vaccine safety
Vaccination / immunisation for specific groups
Travel vaccination
Other Links
General immunisation information
For Parents
The Childrens Hospital Westmead in Sydney run an Immunisation Adverse Events Clinic that is involved in the management of children who have experienced a previous vaccination event or who have a serious underlying medical condition which may indicate the need for supervision during vaccination.
The Australian Department of Health and Ageing publish the document Immunisation Myths and Realities: responding to arguments against immunisation 4th edition
The Immunization Action Coalition (http://www.immunize.org) has launched a new site (http://www.vaccineinformation.org) with information for the public about vaccines and the diseases they prevent. This site includes photos (http://www.vaccineinformation.org/photos) and video clips, case histories, recommendations and journal articles.
The National Network for Immunization Information (NNii) provides information for parents, health professionals and the press. It has partnerships with The Infectious Diseases Society of America, The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Nurses Association, The American Academy of Family Physicians, The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This site contains sections for parents as well as for healthcare professionals. http://www.immunizationinfo.org
The NNii has combined with The American Academy of Pediatrics, Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases (PKIDs), the Immunization Action Coalition, The Children's Vaccine Program at PATH, The Vaccine Page and the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to form a new "web ring", the Allied Vaccine Group. "The Allied Vaccine Group comprises websites dedicated to presenting valid scientific information about the sometimes confusing subject of vaccines. Think of this page as your portal to the real world of vaccines, a world based on scientific research, followed by honest disclosure of the research results - pro and cons." http://www.vaccine.org
The Children's Vaccine Program contains many useful vaccination
resources including technical documents, advocacy tools, training curricula
and sample educational materials for parents. 3 recent electronic documents
are available: a biennial report "Building the Future of Immunization";
a paper "The Case for Childhood Immunization" which summarises
the evidence that vaccination not only works, but is one of the most cost-effective
interventions; and a report about hepatitis B immunisation in Indonesia.
http://www.path.org/vaccineresources/index.php
The Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Institute
of Child Health (UK) have recently developed a new website that
has been designed to provide the information that will help parents make
the right decision for their children with regard to vaccination. The
information on this website is based on the best scientific studies available.
The only vested interest of the people who have produced it is to promote
the health and well-being of children. It is independent of vaccine companies,
the Department of Health and pressure groups.
http://www.ich.ucl.ac.uk/immunisation/
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (the ABC) website has a health page called Health Matters that has an immunisation section providing information, news, stories and features on immunisation-related issues in Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/vaccination.htm
In Australia, the Northern Rivers Division of General Practice has combined with the Far North Coast Division of Population Health (public health unit) to produce a site Vax'em, based in Lismore NSW, to disseminate information to the general public about vaccination. http://www.vaccination.org.au
The Australian Skeptics Journal looks at some aspects of the anti-immunisation lobby. http://www.skeptics.com.au/theskeptic/1997/1_immunise.htm
Each State and Territory Health Department in Australia has an immunisation section that provides information on immunisation and the diseases they prevent:
Australian
Capital Territory
New
South Wales
Northern
Territory
Queensland
South
Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western
Australia
For Professionals
The World Health Organization's web site contains a comprehensive section about vaccines entitled "Vaccines, Immunization and Biologicals". The "Statistics, Maps and Charts" link on this page contains tables, charts and maps with information about 219 countries, including their vaccination schedules. http://www.who.int/immunization/en
The World Health Organization's web site also contains a section entitled "The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER)". The WER is an instrument for the rapid and accurate dissemination of epidemiological information on cases and outbreaks of diseases under the International Health Regulations and on other communicable diseases of public health importance, including the newly emerging or re-emerging infections. http://www.who.int/wer/en/
The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Immunization Program provides comprehensive information on diseases that vaccines can prevent, the importance of immunisation, vaccine safety, and educational resources. http://www.cdc.gov/nip/
GAVI - the Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunization (formerly the Global Fund for Children's Vaccines) is an alliance committed to saving children's lives and people's health through the use of vaccines. Established in 1999, its partners include international organisations (WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank Group), governments of developing and industrialised countries, research institutions, the vaccine industry and major philanthropists (the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). It aims to motivate national governments to secure a more promising future for their children, and stimulates the vaccine industry to develop and supply vaccines to low-income countries. http://www.vaccinealliance.org
The American Society for Infectious Diseases has a science-based page to explain the value of each vaccine, as well as research that separates real side effects from disproved claims. It publishes electronic updates "Immunization Newsbriefs" 3 times a week. http://www.idsociety.org/
The Commonwealth Government's Immunise Australia Program contains information, answers to common questions, publications for parents (in 15 languages) and health professionals, the most recent (September 2003) childhood vaccination schedule, and the latest (8th edition, 2003) Immunisation Handbook. It also contains information about new vaccines and links to other sites in Australia and New Zealand. http://immunise.health.gov.au
NCIRS has produced a number of vaccination history tables on this website. There are 5 tables for 5 different vaccines that outline significant events in immunisation practice related to these vaccines. http://www.ncirs.usyd.edu.au/publ/publ-79-tbls.html
Vaccine Storage
National Vaccine Storage Guidelines: Strive For 5
HERE
Immunisation Schedules
Australian
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Northern Territory
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South Australia
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Tasmania
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Victoria
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Western Australia
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Queensland
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New South Wales
+ Western Sydney Division of GP Schedule Wall Chart - 2005 -
Australian Capital Territory
The Communicable Disease Control Branch of the South Australian Department of Human Services has developed a Prototype Immunisation Calculator. This calculator is for Australian children up to their 7th birthday on the Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule. It will help immunisation providers to determine what vaccinations are due.
International
The WHO provides information on worldwide immunisation schedules. You simply select the country of interest and it will give you a profile on that country, VPD surveillance, the immunisation schedule and information on coverage.
Vaccine safety
The World Health Organization's web site contains a comprehensive section about immunization safety that provides easy access to up-to-date factual information, global policies, best practices and resource documents, including training and communication material, in the area of immunization. http://www.who.int/immunization_safety/en/
Johns Hopkins: Institute for Vaccine Safety http://www.vaccinesafety.edu
This site has up-to-date links to news stories and resources related to
“vaccine issues” (for anthrax, smallpox, hepatitis B, Lyme
disease, etc) and “vaccine information,” including reports
from the Institute of Medicine, a thimerosal table, and links to package
inserts/manufacturer sites.
Brighton Collaboration http://brightoncollaboration.org/internet/en/index/about.html
This international collaboration aims to “develop globally accepted
and implemented standardized case definitions of adverse events following
immunization”. The site offers useful publications, slide presentations,
and other resources of potential interest to infectious diseases specialists.
NHS: Immunisation http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk
This consumer-oriented site provides answers to frequently asked questions
about vaccines, fact sheets, and numerous patient education brochures.
Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb http://www.lareb.nl/home/index.asp
This Dutch site provides the visitor with information about all the Adverse
Drug Reaction (ADR) reports (vaccines included) they receive from health
professionals and patients, as well as the results of their analyses.
(To access the English version of the website click the button
marked ‘English’ in the top, right-hand corner of the page.)
World Health Organisation (WHO)
Vaccine
Safety Net
Websites providing information on vaccine safety which adhere to good
information practices. To assist readers in identifying websites providing
information on vaccine safety that comply with good information practices,
the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety has recommended a list
of criteria that sites providing information on vaccine safety should
adhere to.
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA)
Vaccine
components and constituents: responding to consumer concerns
Describes the key constituents present
in vaccines, discusses issues related to safety and acceptability of these
constituents, and provides a table highlighting constituents of commercially
available vaccines in Australia.
Immunisation for specific groups
The Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
(OATSIH) provides information on its website about the National Indigenous
Pneumococcal and Influenza Immunisation Program.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-oatsih-pubs-index.htm
The Department of Health and Ageing also provides some information on this Indigenous immunisation program. http://immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/atsi
Immunisation for older people is the subject of Immunization for Seniors, a project of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. http://www.immunizeseniors.org/
The US National Immunization Program publishes a popular pamphlet "Guidelines
for Vaccinating Pregnant Women". The 15-page guide has a
chart of routine and travel vaccines recommended or contraindicated during
pregnancy and several pages of relevant passages from various recommendations
of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/preg_guide.htm
http://www.immunize.org/pregnancy
Religious Leaders Approval of Use of Vaccines containing Porcine
Gelatin http://vaccinesafety.edu/Porcine-vaccineapproval.htm
Travel vaccination
The Australian Department of Health and Ageing have recently published the document 'Health precautions for humanitarian workers travelling to tsunami-affected areas'. The purpose of this document is to provide information about personal health protection to people who are planning to travel to tsunami-affected areas in Asia as a member of a health or humanitarian relief team.
The Australian Department of Health and Ageing have
also recently published the document 'Health
information for relief teams returning from
tsunami-affected areas'.
WHO International travel and health (annual WHO publication - full text, chapter on vaccine preventable diseases)
CDC's Health Information for International Travellers (the Yellow book, 2003-4 edition) http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx
The Travel Clinic http://www.travelclinic.com.au
The Travel Doctor http://www.tmvc.com.au
Other Links
New Educational Video to Promote Flu Vaccination
Sydney production company Media One and director Kay Stammers have produced a 7-minute educational video called Stop Flu Before it stops You promoting influenza vaccination in health care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. The production has been financed by an educational grant from CSL Biotherapies but promotes generic vaccination.
The video was shot on locations in Melbourne and Sydney with participation of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza, the Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Moran Health Care Group.
The video's message is clear: " Immunisation is the best way to protect against influenza. The flu shot has been safely given for decades."
Several experts comment on the benefits of flu shots for health care workers.
To watch this video click here. Please note that this link is not intended to be an endorsement by NCIRS of any particular company's product.
The Centre for Clinical Research Excellence - Infection and Bioethics in Haematological Malignancies (CCRE-IBHM) is an NHMRC funded, multi-centre research collaboration aimed at improving outcomes in malignant haematology and bone marrow transplant recipients, with a focus on bioethics and infection. The CCRE consists of 4 primary research sites affiliated with the University of Sydney, including the Western Clinical School at Westmead Hospital, The Children's Hospital Westmead, the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance and the Centre for Values Ethics and Law in Medicine. http://www.ccre-ibhm.org.au/