Vaccine Administration Code
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Section 18(1d)(a)(iii) of the Controlled Substances Act 1984 (the Act) authorises a registered health practitioner to administer a prescription drug
The Controlled Substances (Poisons) Regulation 2011, sub regulation 18(3) provides authorisation for a registered health practitioner determined by the Minister, to administer vaccine without a medical order. The authorisation is conditional to the administration being in accordance with the Vaccine Administration Code (PDF 313KB).
To meet the requirements of the legislation a vaccine must be administered by:
The Code applies to registered nurses, midwives, pharmacists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners (ATSIHP) who have successfully completed an Approved immunisation education program.
A list of approved immunisation education programs for registered nurses, midwives, pharmacists and ATSIHP are published on the Approved Immunisation Education Programs web page.
A list of recognised health facilities which are organisations that are approved for the purposes of the Code are published on the Approved Organisations for Delivering Specified Immunisation Programs web page.
Specified immunisation programs are defined as:
Vaccine administration for the specified immunisation programs must be in accordance with the current recommendations as published in the online Australian Immunisation Handbook.
Vaccines cannot be administered for the purposes of travel or the management of a tetanus prone wound.
Vaccines cannot be administered under the Code if they are not administered as part of a specified program.
Under the JEV Vaccination Program, IMOJEV®; JESPECT®; and IXIARO® can be provided under the VAC until 31 March 2023. For further information please contact the Immunisation Section.
For further information on the Vaccine Administration Code, including the authorisation process, contact SA Health's Immunisation Section on 1300 232 272.