Vic expands pharmacy vax

THE Victorian Government yesterday announced a range of vaccination reforms, including pharmacy immunisations against measles for those aged 16 and up.

The government also announced a “measles vaccination blitz” so that eligible adult Victorians will be able to get the measles vaccine free of charge from a pharmacy, or other vaccination providers.

Vic Health Minister Jill Hennessy noted that over 87% of Victorians live within 2.5km of a pharmacy.

Most younger Victorians received their vaccinations at school or as part of their childhood immunisation schedule, but many adult Victorians - especially those born between the late 1960s and 1980s - remain unvaccinated or only partially immune, she said.

“We’re making the measles vaccination available at pharmacies, making it free for those who need it most, and ensuring younger Victorians can get the vaccinations they need - without needing an appointment with a GP,” she said.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomed the move, which will see the state government make measles-mumpsrubella vaccines available at more than 350 pharmacies state-wide.

“This is a practical and commonsense response by the government, particularly since pharmacists have already been vaccinating people 18 years and over for flu and whooping cough in Victoria since 2016,” said PSA national president Shane Jackson.

“A younger and more vulnerable segment of the population can now get vaccinated quickly and easily without having to make an appointment with a GP,” he said.

Jackson noted that the Tasmanian Government had also recently taken a proactive approach to a meningococcal outbreak (PD 27 Jul) by enlisting pharmacists to deliver the vaccine to people over 10.