Population Health and Strategic Direction
Centre for Population Health - Projects
Infectious Diseases and Immunisation
Staff |
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| Lisa Allchin
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Fact sheets Links |
Infectious Diseases
In New South Wales the principal legislation dealing with the control of infectious diseases is the Public Health Act 1991 and the Public Health Regulation 1992. Under the terms of the Act, certain infectious diseases and other conditions are required to be notified by doctors, hospitals, laboratories and school principals. A list of these conditions can be found in NSW Health Circular 2004/32. The Act empowers Public Health Units to take reasonable action in the interests of protecting public health.
The Infectious Diseases team is primarily responsible for the surveillance and control of notifiable diseases in the Sydney West area. This entails being vigilant for unusual patterns of disease and activating appropriate responses where required. The range of responses includes isolation of source cases or environments, vaccination, providing specific medications to high-risk groups and environmental and food sampling.
The Infectious Diseases team does not operate in isolation, but is part of a wider Public Health Network which is a collaboration of other public health units, laboratories, clinicians and public health practitioners. Consequently, the Unit is able to apply local, national and international expertise, if required, to any communicable disease control problem.
Immunisation
Immunisation is a very important aspect of communicable disease control. The Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule (ASVS) was introduced in 1975 and has been progressively modified since. The successes of immunisation are reflected in very low rates of vaccine preventable diseases in the Sydney West Area as well as in the rest of Australia. Polio and smallpox are two examples of vaccine-preventable diseases that have been eradicated in Australia. However, not all diseases are amenable to eradication and control of these diseases depends on continuing high levels of immunisation coverage.
The Centre for Population Health is responsible for the surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases and for monitoring immunisation coverage in the Sydney West Area. This monitoring is primarily done using the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR), a national database containing immunisation information for all children under 7 years of age.
The Centre for Population Health is also responsible for overseeing strategic activities involving immunisation in the Sydney West Area. This involves collaboration with the local hospitals, Divisions of General Practice, community-based organisations and local government. This collaboration is formalised in a number of strategic working parties.
Promoting immunisation is an important part of the Centre’s work. Each year it joins forces with a range of other agencies to coordinate Immunisation Awareness Week. Walter Wombat is the face of Immunisation Awareness Week and promotes immunisation using the slogan, “Don’t be late, VACCINATE!”
The Centre is also responsible for implementing the school-based vaccination program. Over 130 schools are targeted each year by this program. Nurses from Lithgow Community Health have assisted staff at the Centre by providing immunisation to school children in the Lithgow Area.
Both the Infectious Diseases and Immunisation teams serve as points of reference for health care professionals, community organisations and other members of the public seeking information on a wide range of issues to do with infectious diseases, immunisation and infection control.
FACT SHEETS:
Under development
LINKS:
Links to third party Internet sites are provided for your convenience and are neither endorsed nor supported by Sydney West Area Health Service.
Organisations:Australian Childhood Immunisation Register
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
Public Health Laboratory Service, England and Wales
World Health Organisation
Immunise Australia
NSW Health
The Children's Hospital, Westmead
Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), Westmead Hospital
Public Health Association of Australia
Western Sydney Division of General PracticeUseful Periodicals:
NSW Health Public Health Bulletin
Communicable Diseases Intelligence (Australia)
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review (US)
Emerging Infectious Diseases (US)
Medical Journal of Australia
Bulletin of the World Health Organisation
World Health Organisation Weekly Epidemiological RecordTravel Medicine:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Information for Travellers (US)
World Health Organisation: International Travel and Health Page
