Latest updates to the Australian Immunisation Handbook
Vaccination for people who are immunocompromised
The Vaccination for people who are immunocompromised chapter in the Australian Immunisation Handbook has been significantly updated and expanded.
The chapter now provides clear definitions of immunocompromise and categorises the level of immunocompromise across various types of conditions, divided into following subsections:
Introduction and general principles: new landing page with definitions and level of immunocompromise
Inborn errors of immunity (IEI), including primary immunodeficiency: a new subsection with vaccine guidance for various types of IEI, such as T- and/or B-cell deficiencies, phagocytic and neutrophil disorders, defects of innate immunity, and complement deficiencies
Secondary (acquired) immunodeficiency due to medical conditions: a subsection with vaccine guidance for various types of secondary immunocompromised conditions, such as malignancy, solid organ transplant, haematopoietic stem cell transplant, CAR-T cell therapy, and HIV
Secondary (acquired) immunodeficiency due to medical therapies: a subsection with vaccine guidance for people who are immunocompromised due to receiving immunosuppressive therapies, such corticosteroids, conventional immunosuppressants, biological therapies, and small molecular targeted therapies
Infants exposed to immunosuppressive therapy in utero or through breastmilk: a new subsection with vaccine guidance for infants born to mothers receiving immunosuppressive therapies during pregnancy
Each subsection provides general principles, brief background information and detailed recommendations tailored for people with specific types of immunocompromise, in alignment with vaccination recommendations in the disease chapters.
National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator
Version 4.2.1 of the National Immunisation Catch-up Calculator (NICC) caters to all people under 20 years of age including people who may have one or more medical at-risk conditions (as defined in the Australian Immunisation Handbook), and those who may have received one or more vaccinations overseas.
The NICC has received several updates in v4.2.1. Please refer to the update history for a complete list.
Additional updates
A number of updates have also been made to additional chapters and pages across the Australian Immunisation Handbook. For more information, please visit the Updates to the Handbook page.
For further information, please visit the Australian Immunisation Handbook.