NSW Health says patients of Burwood doctors Darrel and Brinda Weinman since 2010 may need to be re-vaccinated

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Thousands of patients of a Sydney GP clinic may need to be re-vaccinated after it was discovered some shots were incorrectly stored or out of date.

NSW Health on Wednesday warned vaccines administered by doctors Darrel and Brinda Weinman at their Burwood practice since 2010 may not have been effective. More than 3,000 patients have been notified so far.

It includes shots for measles, mumps and rubella, meningococcal, pneumococcal and other adult vaccines.

“We are writing to patients of that practice to ask them to get advice from a new GP on the need for re-vaccination,” Sydney Local Health District’s clinical director of public health, Dr Leena Gupta, said.

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“While NSW Health does not have responsibility for GPs, we are assisting co-regulators the Medical Council of NSW and the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission in investigating and responding to these incidents.”

Authorities aren’t concerned about those who were immunised against the flu, mainly because it is given every year, or travel vaccines - which weren’t stored at the practice.

NSW Health was notified of the issue at the end of March following a complaint and immediately started an investigation.

Brinda Weinman retired in May, while Darrel Weinman died in October.

Gupta said that, due to incomplete record keeping at the practice, “it had been “difficult to identify which patients have been vaccinated and to obtain contact details for all patients”.

NSW Health said it is helping the Medical Council of NSW and NSW Health Care Complaints Commission to investigate and respond to the incidents.