COVID-19 - General Practice Vaccine Roll Out. Which Policies Apply to GP Clinics?
If you’ve received confirmation your Practice is now able to administer the COVID-19 vaccination, you may be interested to know that the Australian government recently amended the Australian immunisation legislation as well as developed a new policy known as the ‘Australian COVID-19 Policy’, both of which provide new guidelines on the administration of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Let’s take a look at these new developments and how they affect the administration of the vaccine in GP clinics.
Role of GP Clinics in Vaccine Delivery
In essence, COVID-19 vaccinations must be administered in accordance with the relevant legislation such as the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015, best practice, guidelines provided by the Department of Health, and recommendations in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
During the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, general practice clinics will have the responsibility for the operations on their own premises, including:
Onsite storage and administration of the vaccine
Ensuring the availability of an adequately skilled workforce; and
Taking all reasonable steps to ensure compliance with minimum site requirements.
As vaccine providers, GPs have a central role in the delivery of vaccines. GPs are well-positioned to assist patients to ensure that their immunisations are up-to-date and to minimise any uncertainty about obtaining vaccines.
As part of the clinical guidelines on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation suggests that GPs use points of discussion to assist in educating patients about the COVID-19 vaccine. The points include the benefits of vaccination, the possibility of reinfection, the need for a second dose of the same brand and the continuation of other public health measures to reduce their personal risk of infection of the virus.
Who Can Administer the Vaccine?
The Australian Government has determined that health professionals are authorised to deliver the vaccine in line with jurisdictional legislation and requirements. In addition, all eligible vaccinators must also have completed the COVID-19 vaccine-specific training.
Do I Need to Do Any Training Before Administering the Vaccine?
Yes. As part of the rollout, authorised immunisation providers will need to complete mandatory COVID-19 vaccination training. The Australian Government has partnered with the Australian College of Nursing to develop and deliver free and accredited training modules for individuals involved in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
Training will also be available for non-clinical and administration staff, who will be able to access the non-clinical modules of the training, such as handling, storage and administrative reporting.
COVID-19 vaccine training modules are categorised into two groups, core and additional. Core COVID-19 training modules will cover things such as handling and storage, and administrative reporting, amongst other things. While the additional training module will include specific training for the different vaccines, such as BioNTech/Pfizer and Oxford University/AstraZeneca.
GPs can find more information about the COVID-19 vaccine training program on the Department of Health website.
A clinical guidance document that provides information for GPs and other providers on the vaccine, doses and administration can be found on The Australian Technical Advisory Group on the Immunisation site.
How Do GPs Determine Who to Administer the Vaccine to?
The Australian government has made the COVID-19 vaccines free to all Australian citizens, permanent residents, and most visa holders. Initially, however, general practices will administer the vaccine to identified priority groups as part of phase 1b, including people over 70, adults with underlying medical conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 55. Further phases will follow as per Australia's COVID-19 vaccine national roll-out strategy.
GP clinics will be provided with further details from the Australian Government on the tests for eligibility, including any associated record-keeping required, which may include letters of referral for people with chronic conditions/increased risk, letters of employment for eligible occupations, etc.
The Department of Health website will also provide an eligibility checker to support clinicians and consumers in understanding if they are part of the priority cohort at that time.
Are There Any Guidelines for Obtaining Informed Consent?
As with all other vaccines, informed consent is required before administering each COVID-19 vaccine dose. Verbal or written consent is acceptable. Written consent is not mandatory, although may be obtained in some settings as per local practices. GPs should always ensure that informed consent is obtained and documented as per standard practices. The Australian Government has prepared an optional written consent form for those GPs who choose to use one. The Australian Immunisation Handbook provides further information about preparing for vaccination and consent.
Are There Any COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Site Requirements?
The Australian Government has developed site readiness requirements for COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Identified sites such as that GP clinics must confirm compliance with the minimum requirements outlined prior to delivery of vaccine doses. Site requirements can be found in the COVID-19 Vaccine Roll Out Information Sheet and include things such as a ‘private and soundproof’ consultation space for the vaccination to occur and an adequate space for patients to wait and be observed post-vaccination that observes physical distancing requirements.
Do GPs Need to Report Vaccinations?
Yes. The Australian Immunisation Register Amendment (Reporting) Act 2021, which was introduced late last year, now requires GPs to report all administered vaccines, including COVID-19, to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) or face a potential fine of more than $6000.
As of 1 March, all vaccine providers will be expected to report influenza vaccinations to the Australian Immunisation Registry (AIR), with all other vaccinations from the National Immunisation Program to be registered as of 1 July.
It will be mandatory to disclose all COVID-19 vaccines both within and outside of Australia once the rollout starts in Australia.
How Do GPs Get Paid for Vaccine Administration?
Funding for GPs to administer vaccines will be provided on a fee-for-service basis via the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
In summary,
COVID-19 vaccines will be made available for free to all Australian citizens, permanent residents, and most visa holders.
Vaccines will be accessible on a rolling basis, dependent on vaccine delivery schedules and the identification of groups for the most urgent vaccination.
All vaccines must be administered in accordance with the relevant legislation, best practices, and the guidelines and recommendations outlined in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
GP clinics initially approved to provide COVID-19 vaccinations must facilitate the safety of vaccines, staff, and consumers; be adequately staffed with appropriately trained personnel; have the facilities and protocols in place to ensure data is reported in an accurate and timely way; and be able to manage high volumes of vaccinations.
GP clinics will be required to undertake mandatory reporting of COVID-19 vaccinations on the Australian Immunisation Register.
For further resources, health professionals can refer to The Department of Health (DoH) collection of resources that contain advice and guidance on delivering COVID-19 vaccinations. These resources currently focus on the Pfizer vaccine, with information relating to the AstraZeneca vaccine to follow shortly.
Key resources include:
ATAGI clinical guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine in Australia in 2021
COVID-19 vaccination decision guide for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy
ATAGI advice on influenza and COVID-19 vaccines
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