A record number of fully immunized Australian children

The national vaccination rate in Australia has reached a record, the number of fully immunized children reaching nearly 95%.

New data for the March 2019 quarter revealed that immunization rates for all five-year-olds in the country had increased 94.78% from the previous record of 94.67% recorded in December 2018.

Pediatrician practicing routine vaccination. Image credit: adriaticfoto / Shutterstock

The figure for five-year-old Aboriginal children was even higher than the national rate, with 96.66% of children receiving a complete series of vaccines. Australia has exceeded the global vaccination rate by 85%, which looks promising in the country's goal of protecting children from life-threatening diseases.

"The latest figures show that the vast majority of parents hear the message about the benefits of immunization and I am delighted that our public health campaigns and immunization programs are protecting all Australians," said Greg Hunt, Australian Minister of Health. Health, in a statement. .

He added that vaccines help save and protect lives, which is why promoting the benefits of immunization should always be implemented.

The vaccination rate is continually increasing in one- and two-year-olds. Subsequently, rates in Tasmania and Victoria exceeded the national rate, at 95.6%, while Western Australia had the lowest rate at 93.4%.

"No game, no play" policy

In recent years, the country has experienced various cases of disease spread and epidemics caused by children not receiving vaccines for certain diseases. The federal and state governments have put in place a policy, called the Card Game Prohibition Act, that children should be thoroughly immunized with evidence before being accepted and enrolled in a nursery or school. kindergarten.

Most voters are in favor of this policy, 85% of them subscribing to it. The survey, conducted by the University of Western Australia (UW) in July, shows the positive reaction and support of residents to the policy of protecting public welfare.

"Unlike similar studies in the United States and the United Kingdom, we found that support for immunization and the mandate was very high, with no significant opposition from a political subgroup", said Katie Attwell of the UW in a press release. "This is important because it shows that in Australia, mandatory vaccination is a good policy for all parties," she added.

The Australian government's vaccination policy

Australia's immunization schedules and policies vary by state. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) recommends that infants and children be vaccinated by a general practitioner or health clinic.

The vaccination schedule for children under five begins at birth at the time of infection with the hepatitis B virus. At 2 months, the infant will receive a 6-on-1 vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B. Infants will also receive rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines.

At the age of 4 months, the infant receives the second dose of vaccines administered at 2 months of age. The third dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine is given at 6 months, while the third dose of pneumococcal is given at 12 months, with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the meningococcal vaccine .

At 18 months, the child should receive a booster of MMR vaccine, DTPa vaccine and Hib vaccine. At 4 years, a reminder of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and poliomyelitis is given again.

Why is it necessary to vaccinate children?

Children are part of the vulnerable population because they are at greater risk of contracting diseases. Some diseases, such as diphtheria, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B and pneumonia, are becoming very rare in various countries because of the protection offered by vaccines.

Vaccination is one of the best ways for parents to protect their children from serious childhood illnesses before the age of two. For proven protection against the disease, have your children vaccinated according to the state immunization schedule.

The benefits of vaccination for disease prevention are important for the safety and protection of children. For example, measles outbreaks occurred in 2018 and the viral disease is highly contagious. For unvaccinated children, the disease can lead to serious, sometimes fatal complications, such as encephalitis or swelling of the brain, pneumonia and even death.

Other diseases such as whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, rotavirus and hepatitis B, among others, can have serious effects on infants and children. Protecting them with vaccines is important to prevent serious complications.