Proposed amendment to the Australian Immunisation Register Act 2015
AMA submission to the Department of Health
The AMA, with some caveats, supports the Amendment of the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Legislation which will make uploading vaccinations mandatory.
The AMA has long supported a central register of all vaccinations received and to which all immunisation providers can report. The expansion of the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) in 2016 to the Australian Immunisation Register went a long way towards the whole of life register the AMA had strongly advocated for.
Requiring immunisation providers to record all immunisations provided will complete the AMA’s vision on this issue, ensuring:
- an accurate record of vaccinations received across a lifetime;
- better preventive care – enabling providers to check on immunisations due; and
- reducing wastage of vaccines and healthcare resources by preventing duplication of immunisation services.
However, this must be backed up with appropriate support to cover the administrative work involved in providing this data.
The AMA in its submission highlights the need for and benefit of incentives to compensate GPs for the administrative burden of this requirement, particularly noting the difficulties experienced in accessing and connecting to the AIR.
The AMA has also strongly encouraged the Government to focus on education and support over more punitive measures to facilitate provider compliance.
