Both the Federal and NSW governments are launching campaigns to improve immunisation rates, with the Northern Rivers being a key priority area.
Canberra will spend $5.5M on a national awareness campaign aimed at convincing reluctant parents to vaccinate their children. Health Minister Greg Hunt said areas with low vaccination rates will be “specifically targeted”.
The national childhood immunisation rate stands at 93 per cent, but the coverage is much lower in a range of Northern Rivers postcodes, notably around the Byron Shire hinterland.
This has prompted NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard to launch a million dollar campaign to boost rates across the state, particularly targeting parents in northern NSW who he said are “failing to safeguard their children by vaccinating”.
The 2017 Save the Date to Vaccinate campaign started on 24 April as part of World Immunisation Week.
“Northern NSW and in particular the north coast have the lowest vaccination rates in Australia,” Minister Hazzard said.
“It is beyond concerning. The Government wants to get levels closer to the statewide average… Around nine in every 10 children in NSW is vaccinated but in some parts of northern NSW, the rate is as low as six or seven in every 10 children.
“Byron Bay is of huge concern. It may be beautiful but its kids are amongst the least protected in NSW.”
Health authorities warn deaths still occur in Australia from diseases such as whooping cough and diphtheria. Both can be prevented by routine vaccination.
North Coast Director of Public Health, Paul Corben said many residents of the north coast were unnecessarily wary of immunisation, often through disinformation.
“We face a range of challenges often not experienced in other states with many people here perceiving vaccines are unnatural, as opposed to life-saving,” he said.
“This campaign will see a range of targeted local strategies including increased community engagement and more nurses and midwives certified to vaccinate children.”
The 2017 campaign includes TV, print, digital, social media and advertising components and encourages parents to download a phone app which reminds them when jabs are due.
The recommended free vaccines protect against 16 vaccine-preventable diseases – hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type B, polio, pneumococcal, rotavirus, meningococcal C, measles, mumps, german measles, chicken pox, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza and shingles. Young people aged 17 and 18 years will also be eligible for the meningococcal ACWY vaccine from 1 May.
See Kitty Flanagan's skit on vaccination on ABC TV's The Weekly with Charlie Pickering at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ-WB-Ay494
