Infectious Diseases
People from refugee-like backgrounds are at significant risk of being unimmunised or under- immunised on arrival in Australia, due to their refugee and forced migration experience. Source country immunisation schedules are different to the Australian immunisation schedule, meaning no one will arrive fully vaccinated. Humanitarian crises are associated with disruption of health services and immunisation programmes, leading to issues with vaccine access and quality. Humanitarian entrants to Australia may receive polio vaccine prior to departure, and/or limited vaccines as part of the voluntary Departure Health Check (DHC); however, other humanitarian entrants may not be immunised and Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) records are not required prior to travel. Asylum seekers will not be immunised prior to travel. Refugee and asylum seeker communities are also identified as being ‘at-risk’ of vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) after arrival, and there have been reported outbreaks of VPD related to refugee index cases.
For more information, please see the Refugee Health Practice Guide here.
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Multicultural Health & Support Service (MHSS)
CEH’s Multicultural Health & Support Service works with communities and health professionals to promote the health and wellbeing of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, asylum seekers and international students.
Its goal is to prevent new incidences and transmission of STIs, HIV, blood borne viruses (BBVs) and viral hepatitis among these communities.
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Referral
Alfred Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic
Alfred Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic work to prevent and to treat illness, disability and death caused by a wide range of infectious diseases.
You need a referral letter from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service.
Referral
Monash Refugee Health & Wellbeing
Monash Health’s Refugee Health and Wellbeing service provides comprehensive primary care services and tertiary services including infectious diseases, paediatrics and psychiatry.
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Victorian Infectious Diseases Service (VIDS)
The Royal Melbourne Hospital provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services to patients with infectious diseases. Patients need a referral from their GP or healthcare provider to access this service.
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Shepparton Medical Centre
The Shepparton Medical Centre (SMC) was established in 2010, the first purpose-built, multidisciplinary teaching clinic in Australia, created to increase the quality and capacity of medical education in a rural setting.
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Barwon Health Infectious Diseases and Immigrant and Refugee Health Clinic
The Immigrant and Refugee Health Clinic at Barwon Health runs each Tuesday morning in conjunction with the Infectious Diseases Clinic.
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Bendigo Outpatients Department Infectious Diseases
Our Infectious Diseases Clinic is held once every four weeks, this clinic sees patients with a variety of infectious diseases including hepatitis. Additionally, we have an infectious diseases specialist, who conducts a small weekly clinic.
Phone Number: 03 5454 8422
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Western Health Infectious Diseases Department
The Infectious Diseases department is a team of specialists who see people with diseases caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or fungus.
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St. Vincent’s Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic
A comprehensive outpatient service is provided by specialist infectious diseases physicians including HIV medicine, Tuberculosis, Exotic and travel diseases, Needle stick injury management program, Post-surgical infections, General infections and PUOs, Post screening refugee care.
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Alfred Health HIV Services and Clinics
As part of the Victorian HIV Service, the Alfred Health HIV Services and Clinics have numerous in-hospital, outpatient and community services available to the HIV-affected community of metropolitan Melbourne, and throughout rural and regional Victoria.
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Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Epidemiology, Monash Health
The Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Epidemiology provide specialist outpatient consultations for patients with a wide variety of infectious diseases, including dedicated services for HIV infection, mycobacterial infections (including tuberculosis), infections in pregnancy and travel health.
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Austin Health Infectious Diseases Unit
We have a strong focus on research that helps to understand and combat infectious diseases issues relevant to the Australian community.
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Health issues of refugees attending an infectious disease refugee health clinic in a regional Australian hospital
Refugees in Australia present with conditions different to those of the general population. The aim of this study was to review the reasons for referral, prevalence of conditions and treatment outcomes for refugee patients attending a specialist referral clinic in regional Victoria.
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The Department of Health
The Department of Health provides guidelines and advice to health professionals about infectious diseases.
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The Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases
The Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases guidelines for the diagnosis, management and prevention of infections in recently arrived refugees: an abridged outline.
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