The Australian Immunisation Handbook, 10th edition - 2015 Update

Overview

Preamble

The purpose of The Australian Immunisation Handbook (The Handbook) is to provide clinical guidelines for health professionals on the safest and most effective use of vaccines in their practice.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has developed draft updates to some chapters of The Handbook (10th edition) in which there are new recommendations or changes to existing clinical advice. These updates  will be included in the 2015 annual update of The Handbook.

Your comments are sought on the following five chapters (to view the draft chapters click on the 'Make a Submission' link below):

·         Chapter 4.7: Influenza

·         Chapter 4.8: Japanese encephalitis

·         Chapter 4.10: Meningococcal disease

·         Chapter 4.12: Pertussis

·         Chapter 4.24: Herpes zoster

The 2015 annual update will also include updates to other chapters of The Handbook which are minor in nature and not related to clinical advice; public comment will not be sought on these minor changes.

Submission instructions

Submissions must be provided by midnight on 16 January 2015.

In order to ensure that your submission is as relevant and useful as possible, the ATAGI welcomes suggestions for specific changes and additions to the updated section of each chapter.

Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

How do I make a submission?

To make a submission, please click on the ‘Make a Submission’ link below. After entering your information on the Introduction page, please go to the individual chapter pages to view or print the updated chapter and enter your comments. Please ensure you provide the page and line number to which your comment refers.

The ATAGI will not accept:

• Comments received after the consultation deadline (16 January 2015);
• Comments which do not comply with submission instructions;
• Comments not supplied on the approved template;
• Confidential information or other material that you would not wish to make public; or
• Comments which, in the opinion of the ATAGI, are inappropriate.

Please note that each submission, including the author's name and organisation (if applicable), will be published on the Department of Health website at the conclusion of the consultation.

What happens next

At the end of the consultation period, all submissions will be collated by the Department of Health and provided to the ATAGI for consideration.

Each submission, and the ATAGI's response to each submission, will be published on the Department of Health website after the consultation period to provide a record of submissions received and to promote understanding about how The Handbook was developed. The Department of Health may also make available your name and the name of your organisation. The publication of comments received will not represent endorsement of the comments by the NHMRC, the Department of Health, its officers, or the ATAGI.