APA Monthly Newsletter March 2021

Current Topics and Trends in Australian Healthcare

APA Awards Night:
Nominations for APA’s Annual Awards Night are open.
Join us in recognising healthcare excellence in Australia.
Nominate your:

General Information on Vaccination or Immunisation:
All vaccines given to residents of Australia are recorded on the Australian Immunisation (Vaccination) Register or AIR; Information on how to access your immunisation/vaccination history is available on the Australian Immunisation webpage click here.
The website Immunisation Facts provides information on the risks and benefits of immunisation/vaccination.
Information on the research and manufacture of vaccines is also available on COVID-19 FAQ page on the National Centre For Immunisation and Research website. click here.

COVID-19
Information on the COVID-19 vaccine program can be found here: News and information for Australians about the development, approval process and plans for COVID-19 vaccines.

Medication Shortages:
COVID-19 has led to a shortage of some medications. APA has added information on its website to assist patients in accessing medications. Click here to read more. Information is also available on the TGA  Medicine Shortages Website, click here.

National Preventive Health Strategy:
The draft  National Preventive Health Strategy is now available for public comment. It will be available online for comment for a six week period and will close on Monday, 19 April 2021. The feedback received from the public consultation will assist the National Preventive Health Taskforce in finalising the Strategy, which is anticipated to launch in mid-2021.
To comment on the strategy click here. To learn more about the strategy click here. or go to the Federal Department of Health website and search for national preventive health strategy.

National Emergency department patient presentations drop during COVID-19:
The impact of COVID-19 restrictions in Australia has caused a reduction in Emergency Department (ED) hospital presentations in 2019-2020. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data shows 8.2 million patients presented to Emergency Departments in 2019-2020, a 1.4% drop compared to 2018-2019. To understand more about Emergency Department presentations click here.

Help APA advocate on behalf of all patients by clicking here to Tell Us Your Story.