Wodonga Council — Immunisation

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Wodonga Council provides free immunisation to all members of the public, across all age groups, for vaccinations on the National Immunisation Program Schedule (NIPS). Immunisation is a safe and effective way of protecting our community against harmful diseases.

Wodonga Council does not offer the COVID-19 vaccine. For current COVID-19 vaccination information, please call the Victorian Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398, book online or visit the Australian Government COVID-19 Vaccination page at health.gov.au/covid19-vaccine

Please note: There no longer needs to be a seven day interval between the COVID-19 vaccination and any other vaccine.

All bookings are by appointment only, please phone 1800 655 360 to book your spot.

The following client groups are eligible to receive the flu vaccine free of charge at a council immunisation session:

Children from 6 months to less than five years of age
Adults aged 65 years and over
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and over
Pregnant women (during any stage of pregnancy)
People aged six months and over with medical conditions which increase the risk of complications, including:
- cardiac disease
- chronic respiratory conditions
- chronic neurological conditions
- immunocompromising conditions
- diabetes and other metabolic disorders
- renal disease
- haematological disorders
- children aged six months to 10 years on long term aspirin therapy.

Children under nine years receiving their influenza vaccination for the first time require two doses of vaccine, spaced by a minimum of one month.

Anyone who does not fall under one of the above categories will not qualify for free flu vaccine at a council immunisation session. Those people will need to attend a pharmacy of participating GP to receive the flu vaccine for free.

Only one parent/guardian or support person is permitted to attend with each client to be vaccinated at council immunisation sessions.

Mobile immunisation sessions

Our mobile immunisation sessions outside of Wodonga are held at Benalla, Indigo and Strathbogie shires.

These councils contract us to carry out immunisation services for their shire.

2023 immunisation dates

The Victorian Government has announced that Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine is recommended and available for specific priority groups, including people who may be exposed to the virus where they live or work.

Wodonga Council will be offering Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccination at our usual council immunisation sessions (by appointment only) held in the Wodonga, Benalla, Indigo and Strathbogie Shire local government areas AND at special Japanese Encephalitis only Vaccination sessions (see below for more info) to the following priority groups:

Please note that the eligibility criteria for JE vaccination was recently expanded.

In Victoria, JE vaccine is available free-of-charge and recommended for:

High-risk local government areas

People aged two months or older who live or routinely work in any of the following local government areas of Campaspe, Gannawarra, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Loddon, Mildura, Moira, Swan Hill, Wodonga, Towong, Benalla, Wangaratta and Strathbogie, AND:

regularly spend time engaging in outdoor activities that place them as risk of mosquito bites, OR
are experiencing homelessness, OR
are living in conditions with limited mosquito protection (e.g. tents, caravans, dwellings with no insect screens), OR
are engaging in outdoor flood recovery (clean-up) efforts, including repeated professional or volunteer deployments.*

*Vaccination can be administered before arrival in flood affected areas to those from other regions deployed for recovery efforts by arrangement.

The risk of exposure to mosquitoes is low at an elevation of greater than 500 metres. Therefore, JE vaccination is only recommended for individuals who spend significant time outdoors below this elevation in these local government areas.

No restriction for people in local government areas who who work at, reside at, or have a planned non-deferable visit to a:piggery, including but not limited to farm workers and their families (including children aged 2 months and older) living at the piggery, transport workers, veterinarians and others involved in the care of pigs
property that has been confirmed to be infected with JE virus
property suspected to be infected with JE virus
pork abattoir or pork rendering plant.
Personnel who work directly with mosquitoes through their surveillance (field or laboratory based) or control and management, and indirectly through management of vertebrate mosquito-borne disease surveillance systems (e.g., sentinel animals) such as
- environmental health officers and workers (urban and remote)
- entomologists.
All diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus, such as persons working with JE virus cultures or mosquitoes with the potential to transmit JE virus, as per the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

The JE vaccination is now available free of charge to those in the above priority groups.
To book an appointment for JE vaccination, please phone council on 1800 655 360.

When making an appointment booking for JE vaccination, please advise if you fall into one of the following categories, as you may need an alternative vaccine brand which is not curently available through Wodonga Council's immunisation service, or JE vaccination may not be recommended for you:

Immunocompromised
Aged less than nine months
Pregnant women (*women should avoid pregnancy for 28 days after vaccination*)
Breastfeeding women should not receive Imojev® because it is not known whether the virus is excreted in breast milk
People who have received immunoglobulin or blood product administration in the past 3 months
Anaphylaxis after a previous dose of any JE vaccine
Anaphylaxis after any component of a JE vaccine
People with an acute febrile illness

JE vaccination is also available through certain pharmacies and GP’s.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is spread to humans through mosquito bites. It may cause a rare and potentially life-threatening infection of the brain.

For further information on Japanese Encephalitis and other mosquito borne diseases and mosquito bite prevention, refer to the Beat the Bite website on the Better Health Channel: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/campaigns/beat-the-bite

The JE vaccination is now available free of charge to those in the above priority groups.
To book an appointment for JE vaccination, please phone council on 1800 655 360.

Pre-immunisation information

The Department of Health has a pre-immunisation checklist that determines whether you or your child is fit for vaccination. The pre-immunisation checklist is also available in other languages.

Age requirements

The minimum age for your baby's first vaccinations is strictly six weeks old (42 days).
Please ensure your child has reached the correct age milestone before presenting for immunisation. For example, six weeks, four months, six months, 12 months, 18 months and four years.
Babies must be given the first dose of rotavirus vaccine before the age of 14 weeks and six days. If babies have not had the first dose by 14 weeks and six days they cannot commence the rotavirus vaccination program. The two-dose schedule of rotavirus vaccine must be completed by 24 weeks and six days of age.
If the individual to be vaccinated is less than 18 years, signed consent must be given by a parent or legal guardian.

What to bring

Parents are asked to bring their child’s health record book so that vaccinations given may be recorded. All vaccinations given are recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
Please also bring your Medicare card.

Side effects of immunisation

Some clients may experience minor side effects following immunisation. The Department of Health lists the common side effects of each vaccine.

Flu vaccine program

Please note: The vaccine is due in late April, bookings will be accepted from early May.

The cost of the flu vaccine is $20 per dose, some people are eligible to receive the vaccine for free. Please see below to check if you fall into any of these groups. If you are not eligible to receive the vaccine for free, you will need to pay for the vaccine.

Cash and EFTPOS facilities are available at all sessions.

You are unable to receive the influenza vaccine at a council immunisation session if you have a history of anaphylaxis to egg or any vaccine ingredients.

Immunisation consent forms will be available to complete at all sessions, alternatively, please print and complete the attached consent form and bring this with you to your appointment.

The COVID-19 vaccine does not protect against the annual influenza virus strains. Under current Health Department advice, there is to be a minimum one week interval between the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine.

PLEASE NOTE: The number of available flu vaccines are currently limited, whilst we do our best to accommodate everybody, your patience is appreciated. Dedicated flu vaccine clinic are available, view the immunisation schedule for further details.

The flu vaccine is available for free to eligible groups on the National Immunisation Program Schedule (NIPS). These include:

Children aged 6 months to less than 5 years
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons aged ≥6 months
All persons aged ≥65 years
All persons aged ≥6 months who have certain medical conditions which increase the risk of influenza disease complications; for example,severe asthma, lung or heart disease, low immunity or diabetes (refer to the table below).
Pregnant women (during any stage of pregnancy)

Learn more here.

Category	Vaccination strongly recommended for individuals with the following conditions
Cardiac disease	Cyanotic congenital heart disease Congestive heart failure Coronary artery disease
Chronic respiratory conditions	Severe asthma Cystic fibrosis Bronchiectasis Suppurative lung disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic emphysema
Chronic neurological conditions	Hereditary and degenerative CNS diseases Seizure disorders Spinal cord injuries Neuromuscular disorders
Immunocompromising conditions	Immunocompromised due to disease or treatment Asplenia or splenic dysfunction HIV infection
Diabetes and other metabolic disorders	Type 1 or 2 diabetes Chronic metabolic disorders
Renal disease	Chronic renal failure
Haematological disorders	Haemoglobinopathies Long-term aspirin therapy in children aged 6 months to 10 years

The flu vaccine is still available to all individuals at a fee.

Current immunisation legislation

No Jab No Pay

Families eligible to receive family assistance payments and have children less than 20 years of age, must now ensure that their children are up to date with immunisations or are on a recognised catch-up schedule. Futher information available here.

No Jab No Play

This legislations applies to Victoria only. Under the 'No Jab, No Play' legislation, before enrolling a child, early childhood services must first obtain evidence that the child is:

Fully immunised for their age;
On a vaccination catch-up program; or,
Unable to be fully immunised for medical reasons.

'Conscientious objection' is not an exemption under the legislation.

These law applies to all early childhood education and care services in Victoria providing:

Long day care;
Kindergarten (including 3 and 4 year old kindergarten);
Occasional care; or
Family day care.

Further information available here.

Vaccines available

Vaccines available on the National Immunisation Program Schedule are free for eligible groups.

Catch-up immunisation

All states and territories will be providing free catch-up NIP vaccines for all children less than 10 years of age on an on-going basis and parents who wish to immunise their children in order to continue to receive family assistance payments will have access to free catch-up vaccines.

All individuals aged less than 20 years are eligible to receive free catch-up vaccinations through the National Immunisation Program (NIP). The catch-up program must start before the person’s 20th birthday.

Please contact the council's Immunisation Team on 1800 655 360 if you are planning to attend an immunisation service for catch up immunisations.

Vaccines available for a fee

Certain vaccines may not be available free of charge for all groups and may be purchased from us.

View the current fees and charges here.

Vaccine payment

Should you wish to purchase any of the vaccines listed above, you can pay at our city offices at 104 Hovell St, Wodonga prior to attending the session (please retain receipt) or via cash/eftpos which is available at the session.

Only vaccines supplied by us can be administered by nurses at our immunisation sessions. We cannot administer vaccines that have been purchased elsewhere, for example, from the chemist. All vaccines administered are reported to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

The Victorian Better Health Channel has more information available on immunisation and in-depth information on vaccine preventable diseases and definitions.

School immunisation

Students at Victorian and NSW schools are offered:

Year seven students

Gardasil®9 – Human Papillomavirus
Boostrix – Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

What has changed?

The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care has announced that from 6 February 2023, Australia will change its schedule for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil®9 on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) from two doses of vaccine to a single dose for most people.

These changes simplify the HPV vaccine schedule and will make it easier and faster to vaccinate young people for HPV.
For those who are healthy with no underlying health conditions and have had a single dose of vaccine are now considered fully vaccinated for and protected from HPV, and do not need to receive a second dose. The schedule has not changed for those who are immunocompromised they will still require three doses.
The change is based on advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) who have considered the large volume of international clinical evidence that supports a single dose providing comparable protection as two doses.

What do you need to do?

Your council immunisation service will seek your consent for vaccinations given at school as usual.
If you have already given consent for your child’s HPV vaccination, and agree to your child having a single dose of Gardasil®9 vaccine instead of the previous two doses, you do not need to take any further action.
If you would like to discuss the change, or clarify any information contained in this message please contact your local council before your child’s vaccination session.

For more information, visit the Better Health Channel website.

Year 10 students

Meningococcal ACWY

Wodonga Council visits all secondary schools in Wodonga, Benalla, Indigo, Strathbogie, Murrindindi, Towong Shire and Albury areas.

Consent cards are sent home to parents via the school prior to the school vaccination program commencing. For vaccination program dates, please contact your school. Students must return a correctly completed consent card in order to be vaccinated at school. For statistical purposes in Victoria, all cards must be returned to the school even if the student is not receiving the vaccine. Parents are asked to contact their school office or our Immunisation Team on 1800 655 360 if their child has not received an information package and consent card prior to the school vaccination program commencing.

Any student who missed out on receiving a vaccine via the school vaccination program is invited to phone our Immunisation Team on 1800 655 360 for further information on how to receive missed vaccinations. Age equivalent students who do not attend mainstream secondary school may contact us to receive these vaccines free of charge.

For further information on the Victorian school vaccination program, visit the Department of Health's website.

For further information on the New South Wales school vaccination program, visit the NSW Health website.

Immunisation history

Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)

AIR Statements contain details of vaccines included in the National Immunisation Program (NIP), school programs (from 2016) and most privately purchased vaccines given to people of all ages. There are a range of ways to obtain an immunisation history statement from AIR.

This can be viewed on the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) website.

Wodonga Council records

We are unable to provide records for the following circumstances;

Children under the age of 7 years, their childhood vaccination records are available by contacting the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) on 1800 653 809 or medicare.gov.au
Vaccinations given by doctors or other providers. Please contact the initial provider.
Vaccinations administered at a NSW school. Please contact The Murrumbidgee local health district on 02 6080 8900.
Vaccinations administered more than 25 years ago.

Wodonga Councils immunisation team can provide vaccination records for individuals 18 years and over, or for a dependent child aged under 18 years that have been vaccinated in the following areas: through a Wodonga Council immunisation service including vaccinations given at school. These areas include;

Wodonga
Indigo Shire
Benalla Council
Towong Shire
Strathbogie Shire
Murrindindi Shire

A $12 application fee is applicable for individuals 18 years of age and over. Please complete the application form.

Commercial vaccination program

Wodonga Council has a mobile immunisation service which provides onsite influenza vaccinations to businesses with 10 or more staff across North East Victoria and Southern NSW.

Influenza can significantly impact your workplace, and costs businesses considerable amounts of money each year due to:

Absenteeism, replacement and overtime costs
Interruption of service or product delivery
Lost or reduced sales and productivity

Protect your staff with an annual flu vaccination this autumn, to reduce their chance of becoming ill.

The cost of the flu vaccine is $22 per person (GST inclusive) for the quadrivalent vaccine.

If you would like us to visit your workplace to provide a staff flu vaccination program, please contact Council’s Immunisation Department via email: immunise@wodonga.vic.gov.au

PLEASE NOTE: You are unable to receive the influenza vaccine at a council immunisation session if you have a history of anaphylaxis to egg or any vaccine ingredients.