Vaccination coverage: How does Australia stack up?
- provax
- Apr 5, 2014
- 2 min read
Paramate (Marvin) Siriya
In Australia, we love to punch above our weight and are recognised as being highly competitive on the sporting field, in research and many other arenas, but how do we compare to the rest of the world in terms of vaccination coverage? The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) represents 34 countries of the developed world and amongst this group, Australia ranks 19th out of 23 for hepatitis B coverage, 22nd out of 34 for measles coverage and 29th out of 33 for pertussis coverage. (1) As you can see, against the rest of the developed world we are doing absolutely shocking! Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons for this.
It seems as if these days, the first thing we do when we get sick it go to “Doctor Google” rather than our GP. The Internet has tremendously changed the way we find information, however anyone can become self-proclaimed experts on the Internet and information can quickly turn into misinformation. Approximately 1.5% of Australian are conscientious objectors to vaccines, but there are pockets of regions with where up to a 5% of people object to vaccines. (2) The Internet gives the anti-vaccination movement a convenient medium to spread false information about vaccines that contradict information from a medical professional that could be used to make an informed decision. (3) A good question to ask is what would our vaccination coverage be if it weren’t for the Internet?
We often take for granted our sense of security against vaccine preventable diseases that countless others have lost their lives to as the deadly effects of these diseases are not readily seen in our communities. Those deadly infectious diseases are not gone but they have been merely contained by vaccines, waiting for our vaccine coverage to drop before they pounce. Would we still be the first world country enjoying a low burden of infectious diseases if these types of diseases were to make a comeback? In the words of prominent public health champion Fiona Stanley… “Do we need an epidemic to frighten parents into vaccinating?” (1) Let’s take the initiative for keeping our community healthy and not return to those tragic days.
1. Report Card: The wellbeing of young Australians. Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, 2013.
2. Hull B, Dey A, Mahajan D, Menzies R, McIntyre PB. Immunisation coverage annual report, 2009. Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report. 2011;35(2):132-48.
3. Poland GA, Jacobson RM. Understanding those who do not understand: a brief review of the anti-vaccine movement. Vaccine. 2001;19(17-19):2440-5.
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