VTPHNA Seasonal Respiratory Diseases

Join VTPHNA to strengthen provider capability in delivering safe, confident, and well documented immunisation care.

The session will also include a brief discussion on the latest seasonal influenza vaccines for the upcoming flu season.

Participants from primary care and residential age care homes (RACH) will learn how to identify and manage patients with needle phobia, using supportive communication and behavioural strategies to reduce anxiety. The session will also cover how to prevent, manage, and report common vaccine administration errors, supporting quality and safety in clinical practice.

Attendees will be guided through checking patient immunisation status on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and uploading vaccine records to both AIR and My Health Record, ensuring accurate, reliable documentation.

Speaker:

Georgina Lewis is a Registered Nurse with a background in paediatric nursing at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing, Paediatrics and has been an accredited Nurse Immuniser since 2005. Georgina has been working with Victoria’s vaccine safety service, SAEFVIC since 2007 and currently holds the position of Clinical Manager. She also works as a casual Nurse Immuniser with a local council. Her special interests include vaccine safety, surveillance, education and immunisation research.

Michelle Ryan registered nurse immuniser from RCH

AIR and My Health Record, This session will feature a speaker discussing AIR and My Health Record, with final speaker details to be confirmed.

In registering for this event, you acknowledge that attendance and evaluation data will be shared with the participating PHNs for attendance and evaluation purposes. This will allow each PHN to provide presentation materials, invite feedback, and deliver post-event support for this session.

Learning outcomes:

• Explain the latest 2026 Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) flu vaccine recommendations
• Describe how to identify and manage patients with needle phobia
• Describe how to prevent, manage and report common vaccine errors
• Explain how to check patient immunisation status on Australian Immunisation Register
• Explain how to upload vaccines to Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and My Health Record