Practice Incentives Program Quality Improvement Measures: National report on the first year of data 2020-21

Influenza is a common disease of the respiratory tract. It affects people of all ages. It is estimated that influenza is likely to be associated with more than 3,000 deaths and 13,500 hospitalisations each year in Australia, just in people aged >50 years (ATAGI 2018).

There are a number of groups who are at a higher risk of influenza and its complications. These groups experience higher illness and death associated with influenza than the rest of the population and adults aged ≥65 years is one of the vulnerable population groups. Therefore, annual influenza vaccination is strongly recommended for those aged ≥65 years (ATAGI 2018). The administration of influenza vaccine to persons at risk of complications of infection is the single most important measure in preventing or attenuating influenza infection and preventing mortality. There is evidence that influenza vaccine reduces hospitalisations from influenza and pneumonia and all-cause mortality in adults aged ≥65 years of age.  While best practice guidelines recommend annual immunisation, a 15 month interval allows for cases when a client decides to receive a vaccine earlier than recommended (e.g. from a pharmacy), or delay and wait for the release of an ‘enhanced’ vaccine (Department of Health 2020).

Results arising from clinical intervention conducted outside of the service that are known and recorded by the practice are included in the measure. Where immunisation was provided elsewhere (for example, workplace, pharmacy etc.) and the information is not recorded in the clinical information system of the client’s usual general practice (for example, due to incompatible clinical information system between a practice and another service), then these data will not be captured in the report.

There are other administrative data collections where the data on influenza immunisation are captured, e.g. the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).