On-demand MEDTalks: Navigating the changing landscape of pneumococcal disease in Australia

How high are pneumococcal vaccination rates at your practice?

According to the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), coverage of adult vaccination in Australia is suboptimal,¹ with only one in five eligible adults receiving pneumococcal vaccinations in 2021.²

Across four short, sharp and topical MEDTalks, a vibrant, passionate panel of GPs and a vaccine expert will outline key issues in primary care, relevant pneumococcal serotypes in Australia and considerations when choosing from vaccines that are now available. Finally, a lively panel Q&A will leave you with practical tips for the optimal prevention of this disease in your at-risk patients.

Learning outcomes:

By completing this learning activity, participants will be able to:

• Understand the at-risk groups for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Australia.
• Rationalise and overcome barriers to the use of guideline-recommended pneumococcal vaccines in adults.
• Distinguish between recommended pneumococcal vaccines and asses their effectiveness against relevant serotypes in Australia.
• Recall at-risk patients for whom pneumococcal vaccines are recommended and educate them about the importance of receiving a vaccination.

Presented by: A/Prof Gary Kilov, Dr Chee Khoo, Prof Paul Van Buynder, Dr Ralph Audehm

This activity is sponsored by MSD Australia.

References

1. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) Australia. Immunisation coverage and evaluation reports. Immunisation coverage data and reports | NCIRS. Accessed March 2023.
2. Menzies, R et al. The impact of the changing pneumococcal national immunisation program among older Australians. Vaccine. 2021 Jan 22;39(4):720-728.