Patients of a Tasmanian medical clinic may have received less effective vaccines across two decades, with a probe revealing there was no guarantee the jabs had been stored at the right temperature.
The state’s Department of Health is working with Dodges Ferry Medical to provide advice to people who were vaccinated at the clinic between July 2003 and March 22, 2023.
An investigation by the state director of public health found there was no documented evidence of vaccines being stored per national guidelines during that period.
The department says it is likely vaccines were exposed to temperatures in storage that were too hot or too cold, which can reduce their effectiveness in preventing disease.
“There is no risk of harm to people who have received these vaccines, however the vaccine may not be effective at preventing disease,” Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said.
“It is not possible to determine whether vaccines administered at the clinic were effective or ineffective.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending people who received vaccines at the clinic to seek advice and consider having those vaccine doses repeated.”
Vaccines that may be affected are those on the National Immunisation Program.
This includes routine government-funded childhood vaccines and some government-funded vaccines given to teenagers, adults and pregnant women.
Dr Veitch said the issue was identified during an unrelated phone call between a staff member at the clinic and a health department employee.
He there was evidence the storage fridge had “frozen up” which posed a risk to vaccines near the ice and there had been prolonged power outages in the area during 2013 bushfires.
The Department of Health has contacted 1948 people known to have been vaccinated at the clinic.
“We haven’t found any cases of notified serious childhood vaccine preventable diseases amongst the patients of the clinic,” Dr Veitch told reporters.
The health department says flu and COVID-19 vaccines purchased from pharmacies on private scripts have not been affected.
People who have been affected are encouraged to speak with their general practitioner to discuss revaccination relevant to their circumstances.
They can also visit the Department of Health website or call the public health hotline for more information.