Pharmacy Daily | SA reduces flu jab age restrictions

SOUTH Australia is bracing for another severe influenza season, by allowing pharmacists to administer flu vaccines to children aged 10 years and older (PD breaking news).

SA Health Minister, Steven Wade, announced the measure on Fri, having told the State Parliament earlier in the week that it was one of three the Government has been working on to improve herd immunity, alongside the provision of free vaccines for people experiencing homelessness.

"The Marshall Liberal Government has a strong, demonstrated commitment to public health," he said.

"We introduced the meningococcal B vaccination program and catch-up, the first in Australia for children and infants and the first for young adults in the world.

"We also introduced free flu vaccines for under-fives, and we are working to have pharmacists give flu vaccines to children aged 10 years and above, dropping the threshold from 16 years."

Welcoming the decision, Pharmacy Guild of Australia South Australian Branch President, Nick Panayiaris, said the move would take the State into line with other jurisdictions, where pharmacists have been authorised to vaccinate patients aged 10 and older.

Panayiaris said it would also boost herd immunity, and reiterated the Guild's call for State and Territory Governments to include community pharmacists in the distribution of National Immunisation Program vaccines for high risk patients.

"Clearly pharmacists are part of the solution and giving pharmacists the ability to practise at their full scope, applying their training and expertise will bring great benefits to our health system," he said.

Wade added the provision of free flu vaccines for homeless South Australians was "a tangible way of helping them avoid the flu or minimising its impact if they do get the flu".

"As part of this initiative all South Australian GPs and immunisation providers will be able to offer the vaccinations free of charge to people experiencing homelessness," he said.

"In addition, drop-in services like Streetlink Youth Health services and RDNS will be able to provide the vaccine free of charge to any eligible clients."

However, Wade did not specify whether or not pharmacists would be included among the "immunisation providers" eligible to administer vaccines to homeless patients.