To obtain consent for vaccination it is important to obtain a minimum set of information from the patient that is then recorded in the patient file. It might be worth creating/importing a protocol template in to each computer file as an aide memoire for this e.g.
It is generally advisable to avoid vaccination during a febrile illness and give the vaccine in the non dominant arm as it can be sore. No vaccination should take place if Guillan Barre occurred in the last year or if Guillan Barre occurred at any time as a reaction to previous flu vaccination.
If three vaccines are being given together e.g. seasonal flu, pneumococcal and H1N1 they can all be given at same time. Ideally pneumococcal and H1N1 should be at different sites as they can both be sore and seasonal flu given 2cm away from the others in deltoid, or an alternative is anterolateral thigh. (Reference Immunisation Guidelines for Ireland, http://www.immunisation.ie/en/HealthcareProfessionals/ImmunisationGuidelines2008/)
A consent form is not needed for vaccination of adults but if desired can be downloaded below. It is worth remembering that documented informed consent as detailed above is a more important record than a signed consent form that is not informed by appropriate questions being asked and answered.
Contraindications to vaccination with Pandemrix (Reference Irish Medicines Board on 02/10/2009, http://www.imb.ie/images/uploaded/documents/Pandemrix-PU-17-en.pdf)
History of an anaphylactic (i.e. life-threatening) reaction to any of the constituents or trace residues (egg and chicken protein, ovalbumin, formaldehyde, gentamicin sulphate and sodium deoxycholate) of this vaccine. If vaccination is considered to be necessary, facilities for resuscitation should be immediately available in case of need.
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