Information updates

General practices and allergy clinics across Australia are invited to take part in a new clinical trial aiming to improve the lives of young people with hay fever, our country’s most common allergic disease.  Recruitment sites in every state and territory have partnered with the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE), hosted at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), to launch the ARISE Trial. 

Register your interest here if you are interested in becoming a recruitment site. 

A new trial aims to reduce allergic rhinitis (hay fever) symptoms and improve the quality of life of people with hay fever, the country’s most common allergic disease for young Australians.

If successful, the trial will change the way hay fever is managed, reducing the burden on those living with the disease, their families and the healthcare system
A new trial is aiming to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life of young Australians with hay fever, the country’s most common allergic disease.

Shingrix^®  is a varicella zoster virus recombinant vaccine that can provide protection from herpes zoster (shingles) and post-herpetic neuralgia (long-term nerve pain):

Funding of Shingrix from 1 November 2023 was announced by the hon Mark Butler (Minister for Health and Aged Care) on Sunday 8^th October 2023.  The extended vaccine eligibility for 'high/medium risk' immunocompromised individuals iwill be considered at the November 2023 meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), so an announcement about this will be made after the transition from Zostavax to Shingrix on 1 November 2023.

ASCIA made a submission in January 2023  to support the PBS listing of Shingrix.

For details refer page 22 - https://www.pbs.gov.au/info/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/agenda/november-2023-pbac-meeting  

From 1 November 2023 funding of Shingrix will be available for:

1. All Australians over 65 (and over 50 for First Nation Australians), which includes all immunocompromising conditions above those ages.

2. Immunocompromised adults aged 18 years and over with the following medical conditions;  haemopoietic stem cell transplant, solid organ transplant, haematological malignancy and advanced or untreated HIV.

https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/shingles-vaccine-now-free-for-nearly-5-million-australians

ASCIA online courses provide accessible, consistent and evidence-based training in anaphylaxis, allergy and immune deficiencies. The updated 2025 version of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for health professionals has been approved as a CPD activity by the following professional organisations:

• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
• Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
• Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) 

ASCIA Online Training Updates 2025

To enhance the user experience, improve access and increase usage, in 2025 ASCIA etraining courses have been:

• Improved by including more videos and infographics, in response to feedback from 2023 evaluation surveys
• Updated to include 2025 versions of ASCIA Action Plans for Anaphylaxis
• Moved to new, more user-friendly websites https://traininghp.ascia.org.au/ and https://training.ascia.org.au/

It is important that ASCIA e-training courses are regularly reviewed and updated, as the usage continues to increase since they were first introduced in 2010. 

ASCIA Online Training Completions 

ASCIA anaphylaxis and allergy e-training courses were completed by a total of 124,227 course participants in 2024, a 32% increase compared with 94,193 in 2023, including:

• 87,580 school anaphylaxis course completions - an increase of 19% compared to 74,201 course completions in 2023*
• 14,318 children's education/care (CEC) anaphylaxis course completions - an increase of 57% compared to 9,133 course completions in 2023
• 14,011 health professional anaphylaxis and allergy course completions - an increase of 150% compared to 5,589 course completions in 2023**
• 4,621 schools, CEC and community anaphylaxis refresher course completions - an increase of 30% compared to 3,568 course completions in 2023 
• 2,816 first aid (community) anaphylaxis course completions - an increase of 12% compared to 2,514 course completions in 2023 

*Course completions in 2024 are in addition to completions of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses licenced to be on NSW, QLD and WA Education Departments for use on their LMS platforms. 

**The significant increase in course completions is largely due to the increased promotion of the courses by ASCIA. The increase suggests that there is a high need for health professionals to have access to this form of training, reflecting the rising prevalence of allergic disease in Australia and New Zealand. 

The mandatory evaluation reports for 2024 indicate that ASCIA anaphylaxis and allergy courses for health professionals were completed by:

• 5,622 nurses (including nurse practitioners and nurse assistants)
• 3,132 pharmacists
• 543 pharmacy assistants
• 259 general practitioners
• 108 dietitians
• 97 paediatricians
• 95 medical/health educators
• 81 paramedics
• 3,278 other health professionals

In 2024, ASCIA courses were also completed by 796 students who are not yet working as health professionals. 

Each ASCIA e-training course includes mandatory evaluation surveys which provide feedback about preference regarding online training. Future ASCIA course updates will be based on this feedback, which includes information relevant to undergraduate and postgraduate anaphylaxis and allergy training.

As one of the partners in the National Allergy Council, ASCIA is pleased to share information about allergy assist^TM – a new free, national online service providing rural doctors with expert allergy education and support. 

The National Allergy Council has developed allergy assist^TM in partnership with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) with funding from the Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care. The platform builds on the success of ACRRM’s Tele-Derm, an online dermatology service that has supported over 5,000 rural doctors with specialist advice for more than 20 years.  Hosted on ACRRM’s learning management system, allergy assist^TM is available at no cost to ACRRM members, and other doctors who apply for access in regional, rural, and remote areas across Australia.

Information is on the National Allergy Council website and rural doctors can apply for access via the ACRRM website

The allergy assist^TM platform:

• Provides healthcare professionals with access to an education and advice hub, featuring online learning modules, diagnostic support, and links to ASCIA resources.
• Allows GPs to submit de-identified patient cases via a secure system, where a panel of clinical immunology/allergy specialists can review and provide guidance within 48 hours.
• Aims to bridge the gap in healthcare access for rural, remote and First Nations communities while alleviating healthcare costs by reducing unnecessary referrals visits.

With over 5 million Australians affected by allergic conditions, including food allergies, insect sting/bite allergies, allergic rhinitis and anaphylaxis, the need for patients to be effectively managed by their GP or Rural Generalist has never been greater. The allergy assist^TM initiative offers a lifeline to those in rural and remote areas who are unable to access specialist care due to distance.

Expected to assist thousands of doctors and, in turn, their patients, allergy assist^TM supports the National Allergy Council’s Shared Care for Allergy project’s aim of patients receiving the right care, at the right time, from the right healthcare professional, in the right place, particularly for people living in rural, regional and remote areas.

The Journal of Human Immunity (JHI) inaugural editorial by JHI Editor-in-Chief Jean-Laurent Casanova is now live and can be read online at https://doi.org/10.70962/jhi.20250001  The editorial outlines the vision, scope, and mission in making this journal the destination for exciting research into human immunity, with a particular focus on inborn errors of immunity. 

Manuscript submissions for JHI are now welcome:

• JHI publishes research articles, reviews, perspectives, letters, editorials, and commentaries that provide novel insights into the physiology and pathology of human immunity through the study of genetic defects and their phenocopies, including the study of leukocytes and other cells.
• The journal’s focus on human inborn errors of immunity encompasses conditions as diverse as infection, autoimmunity, autoinflammation, malignancy, and allergy. Human inborn errors of immunity include monogenic disorders with complete (Mendelian traits) or incomplete (non-Mendelian) penetrance.
• JHI welcomes other types of genetic basis (e.g., digenic), if causality is genetically unquestionable, or if the immunological mechanism is documented, or both.
• Single patient and single kindred genetic studies are considered, as are small and large series of patients.
• JHI will publish descriptions of new genotypes, immunological phenotypes, and clinical phenotypes, which may result from hitherto understudied ancestries or environments.

Learn more about submitting your best research in the JHI Instructions for Authors athttps://rupress.org/jhi/pages/ifora 

Healthed has collaborated with ASCIA to develop a free series of webcasts, in response to direct requests from GPs, to form the Healthed Masterclass on Allergy Management in General Practice.

The Masterclass is available at https://www.healthed.com.au/learning/allergy-management-in-general-practice-masterclass/

The aim of this Masterclass is to address key issues and knowledge gaps that GPs want assistance with:

• Topics include allergy testing, food allergies, anaphylaxis, urticaria, eczema, rhinitis, asthma and dust mites, presented by ASCIA members who are clinical immunolgy/allergy specialists and leading educators.
• The webcasts feature practically useful, up-to-date, and authoritative guidance on what to do about the common issues that health professionals face in primary care.
• This masterclass will continually evolve to provide the latest insights and updates in the field of allergy and immunology. 

For fellows of the RACGP and ACRRM, Healthed will upload the CPD hours on behalf of Masterclass participants. Other health professionals can self-claim their CPD points.

This Masterclass is aligned with ASCIA's role in the National Allergy Council's Shared Care for Allergy project, to facilitate, provide and promote anaphylaxis and allergy clinical resources, education and training for health professionals, 

ASCIA advocates on behalf of ASCIA members to government and other organisations by lodging submissions which are listed on the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au/ascia-submissions

ASCIA lodged five submissions on 23 January 2025 in support for the following applications which are relevant to clinical immunology/allergy specialists, to be considered at the March 2025 meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC):

• Extension of PBS listing of Dupixent^® (dupilumab) for patients aged less than 12 years 
  ASCIA letter PBAC Dupixent 2025-01-23 121.54 KB

• PBS listing of a new strength of Xolair^® (omalizumab)
  ASCIA letter PBAC Xolair 2025-01-23119.62 KB

• New PBS listing of Omlyclo^® (omalizumab)
  ASCIA letter PBAC Omlyclo 2025-01-23117.80 KB

• Amendment to PBS listing of Remsima^® SC (infliximab)
  ASCIA letter PBAC Remsima SC 2025-01-23 119.47 KB

• New PBS listing of Ixifi^® (infliximab)  
  ASCIA letter PBAC Ixifi 2025-01-23 117.85 KB

ASCIA is currently advertising for a new ASCIA Project Officer to focus on expanding ASCIA education, training and advocacy in the area of inborn errors of immunity (IEI), which include primary immunodeficiencies.

The key objective of this role will be to progress the implementation of the ASCIA Immunodeficiency Strategy for Australia and New Zealand.

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