ASCIA Update 26 June 2024

ASCIA 2024 Conference - Earlybird Registration Closes 3 July

Register to attend the ASCIA 2024 Conference in-person at the Adelaide Convention Centre or online, for the latest updates by more than 60 speakers on food, drug, insect and respiratory allergy, immunodeficiency and autoimmunity. The program includes allergy updates for nurses, dietitians and medical practitioners.

To register go to https://ascia2024.com/registration

To submit abstracts for posters and clinical grand rounds go to https://ascia2024.com/call-for-abstracts  

Earlybird registration rates and abstract submission close 3 July 2024.

Allergy and Clinical Immunology Positions

During World Allergy Week 2024, ASCIA takes the opportunity to highlight the importance of advanced training for physicians in allergy and clinical immunology.

Roles for advanced trainees in 2025, as well as other allergy/immunology positions, are listed on the ASCIA Allergy/Immunology Positions webpage.

ASCIA Website Updates - Skin and Drug Allergy

ASCIA patient/carer information topic areas that have most recently been updated are:

• Skin
• Drug Allergy

The updates have been made by the ASCIA team as part of the National Allergy Council Shared Care for Allergy project, to make it easier to:

• Read and understand, by simplifying language and changing to FAQ formats
• Contact patient/carer support organisations by including weblinks at the start of each FAQ
• Provide patients/carers with QR code links to information using ASCIA Quicklinks

Other recent ASCIA website updates include:

• Allergy Treatments
• Food Allergy
• Insect and Tick Allergy
• Anaphylaxis and Allergy
• Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever) and Sinusitis
• Allergy and Immunology Testing

ASCIA Website Updates - Immunodeficiency

ASCIA information for patients and carers about primary immunodeficiencies (also known as inborn errors of immunity) have recently been updated as part of the ASCIA Immunodeficiency Strategy to make it easier to:

• Read and understand, by simplifying language and changing to FAQ formats
• Contact patient/carer support organisations by including weblinks at the start of each FAQ
• Provide patients/carers with QR code links to information using ASCIA Quicklinks  

ASCIA Submissions

Recent ASCIA Submissions have been lodged in response to the following consultations:

• National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions – the ASCIA submission includes requests for primary immunodeficiency and allergic diseases to be considered as chronic health conditions.
• Australia’s National Immunisation Strategy 2025 to 2030 - the ASCIA submission includes a recommendation for people with primary immune deficiencies to be one of the main “at-risk” groups in the National Immunisation Program.
• PBAC July 2024 Meeting – the ASCIA submission supports the application for Arexvy® Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine to be included in the National Immunisation Program for people aged 60 years and older.

ASCIA Reports – Online Anaphylaxis Training

For the first time since online ASCIA anaphylaxis training courses were first introduced in 2010, reports have been developed based on mandatory feedback surveys.

The surveys were completed by 45,675 course participants and the reports are available here

This work has been completed as part of the National Allergy Council Shared Care for Allergy and School/Childcare projects. Information from the reports will guide course developments and updates.

Updated ASCIA Code of Conduct

ASCIA fosters and promotes respectful behaviour amongst members, staff, contractors and other parties, to provide a positive and collegiate working environment.

This extends to all settings, including the ASCIA office, state meetings, online meetings, ASCIA Annual Conferences and other meetings where ASCIA members are present and represented.

The ASCIA Code of Conduct has been updated in 2024, to reflect this, and to comply with recent changes in legislation, and is available open access here

ASCIA Member Awards

Congratulations to the following ASCIA members on their recent awards:

• Professor Jo Douglass AO (past ASCIA President) – Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division, for her distinguished service to medical research, clinical immunology and allergy, and tertiary education.
• A/Professor Rohan Ameratunga ONZM – Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM), for his pivotal role in developing clinical services for patients with Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders in New Zealand.
• Professor Mimi Tang - BioMelbourne Network Distinguished Leadership Award
• A/Professor Jennifer Koplin and A/Professor Rachel Peters – Stallergenes Greer Foundation Awards

RACP Foundation Research Awards - Funding Rounds Now Open

Applications are now open for the RACP Foundation Research Awards, which provide research funding for 2025. Up to 50 awards up to a total value of $2.5 million are available to RACP Fellows and Advanced Trainees from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in the following categories:

• Career Development Fellowships – close Monday 1 July 2024
• Research Establishment Fellowships - close Tuesday 9 July 2024
• Research Entry Scholarships (PhD) – close Tuesday 16 July 2024

For more information go to Research Awards and Career Grants | RACP Foundation

TGA Consultation – Updates to medicine labelling rules

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) public consultation is now open on Updates to Australian medicine labelling rules to support medicine safety

The TGA is proposing changes to labelling rules to:

• Help make sure that certain information important to health professionals is displayed clearly on labels or is available in the appropriate format.
• Improve information about large oral dosage forms on listed medicines because the TGA continues to receive reports of serious choking related adverse events.

The TGA is seeking feedback to ensure the proposed rules support the safe use of medicines and submissions are due by 11 July 2024.

Regularly Updated ASCIA Webpages

The following ASCIA webpages are regularly updated:

ASCIA Reports

Locate a Specialist

ASCIA Submissions

Allergy/Immunology Positions

Medical Product Supply Updates

Allergy and Immunology Research

Conference, Meetings and Events Calendar

 

ASCIA gratefully acknowledges the generous support of all sponsors listed on the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/sponsors