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COVID-19 Updates
ATAGI statement on recommendations on a winter booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine
ATAGI recommends an additional booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine to increase vaccine protection before winter for selected population groups (see Table 1) who are at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and who have received their primary vaccination and first booster dose. These groups are:
- Adults aged 65 years and older
- Residents of aged care or disability care facilities
- People aged 16 years and older with severe immunocompromise (as defined in the ATAGI statement on the use of a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and older.
ATAGI and ASCIA recommend additional booster dose for severely immunocompromised individuals, including people with kidney disease who have been treated with a kidney transplant, dialysis or immunosuppressive medications (24 December 2021).
Vaccination against COVID-19 for Adult Patients with Kidney Failure Requiring Transplantation or Dialysis AZNSN-ASID Joint Statement
The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN) and the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) strongly recommend that adult patients with kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation are vaccinated against COVID-19, using any of the available vaccines that have been approved by the TGA and endorsed by ATAGI, or approved by Medsafe and in accordance with New Zealand Ministry of Health Guidelines.
Read the ANZSN-ASID's Vaccination against COVID-19 for Adult Patients with Kidney Failure Requiring Transplantation or Dialysis Statement (10 December 2021).
COVID-19 3rd Vaccination Statement
ANZSN strongly endorses ATAGI's recommendations that a third primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine should be given to patients with kidney disease who are receiving dialysis (peritoneal dialysis or haemodialysis), have a kidney transplant, or are receiving immunosuppressive therapy. ANZSN encourages its members to support kidney patients to receive this third dose.
Read the ANZSN's COVID-19 3rd Vaccination Statement (27 October 2021).
COVID-19 Vaccine Media Release KHA ANZSN TSANZ
Kidney Health Australia, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology and the Transplant Society of Australia and New Zealand's have developed a COVID-19 Vaccine Media Release.
Read the KHA ANZSN TSANZ COVID-19 Vaccine Media Release (12 May 2021).
COVID-19 Vaccination for Transplant Recipients
The Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand has developed and released a COVID-19 Vaccination for Transplant Recipient Statement in direct response to vaccine safety concerns. This should be used as a guide for transplant recipients.
Read the COVID-19 Vaccination for Transplant Recipients Statement (14 April 2021).
COVID-19 Vaccination – Eligibility Declaration Form
COVID-19 vaccine rollout eligibility declaration form for patients receiving a COVID-19 vaccine (18 March 2021).
FAQs on COVID-vaccine
A patient-focused FAQ document on COVID-vaccine (10 March 2021) developed by our COVID-19 Working Group, led by Dr Shilpa Jedudason, has been provided to our patient-facing stakeholder groups.
ANZSN COVID-19 Vaccination NZ Position Statements
ANZSN, in collaboration with KHNZ and RSA, has released this week two COVID-19 statements in Aotearoa – New Zealand.
Resources to help plan and respond to COVID-19
The ANZSN COVID-19 Working Group has developed key checklists to assist renal unit senior management teams in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand prepare for and manage the COVID-19 pandemic:
Other Information
It is recommended that you refer to your local health department website (links below) to ensure that you are accessing the most recent resources, updates and information.
Australia:
New Zealand:
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)
A list of the initiatives that the RACP is leading on behalf of its Members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here.
Information for patients and carers
Kidney patients and their carers can find information on COVID-19 at the following websites: