ACT Medicare Local says the ACT remains a national leader in childhood immunisation.
ACT Medicare Local Chair Dr Rashmi Sharma said the June 2011 quarter data released by the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) showed the ACT is above the national average in all three reportable age ranges. The Territory recorded the highest national rate for children aged 12-15 months, and the second highest for children 5 years of age.
“The team of Canberra GPs, Practice Nurses, and Maternal and Child Health Nurses has worked hard to achieve this outstanding result for the ACT. General practice provided almost half of all immunisations,” said Dr Rashmi Sharma.
After analysing three-monthly reports from ACIR which list the immunisation rate of each General Practice Immunisation Incentive (GPII) registered practice in the ACT, ACT Medicare Local has assisted practices under the immunisation target rate of 90% to adopt strategies to increase their rate. Very few practices remain under the target rate following assistance from the ACT Medicare Local.
“In fact of the 68 practices registered, 33 practices are achieving rates above 95%. This outstanding result reflects the success of the support provided by the ACT Medicare Local and the commitment of general practice,” said Dr Sharma.
“ACT Medicare Local assists practices to implement tailored strategies such as recall and reminder systems for individual patients. We also support practices to report online and on-time,” said Dr Sharma.
Dr Sharma says results show Canberra parents are keen to protect their children from preventable childhood diseases through immunisation.
Dr Sharma reminds Canberrans that the Targeted Adult Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Vaccination Program has been extended by ACT Health until 31 December 2011.
“The program offers free Pertussis vaccine to parents and grandparents of babies less than 12 months of age, as infants too young to be fully vaccinated are most at risk of catching the disease and suffering serious complications from Pertussis,” said Dr Sharma.
Dr Sharma also said it’s not too late to receive a flu vaccine, which is free for at-risk groups.