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New vaccines funded |
The Northern Rivers Division of General Practice welcomes the announcement that the Government will provide free chickenpox (varicella) vaccine for all toddlers and at-risk teenagers and replace oral polio vaccine (OPV) with injectable inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).
Following a recommendation by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, which reviews the latest evidence on vaccines, the vaccines will be funded under the National Immunisation Program from 1 November 2005.
Chickenpox vaccine will be offered free to all children at 18 months of age. Children aged between 10-13 years who have not received chickenpox vaccine or who have not had the disease will be offered the free vaccine as part of a long-term catch-up program.
The replacement of oral with injectable polio vaccine will allow the use of a new six-in-one combination vaccine that provides protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and polio. This vaccine reduces the amount of injections needed, as currently Haemophilus influenzae type b (hib) is a separate injection.
~ENDS
Date issued: 07/03/05
Media Contact: Katherine Breen Kurucsev, NRDGP, 6622 4453. Mobile 0404 46 30 49.
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