Vaccine refocus call
Teens and older Aussies need protection
MORE than four million Australians are missing out on vital lifesaving vaccines every year, with coverage dangerously low among older adults, teenagers and the chronically ill.
Experts say society has rightfully focused on boosting immunisation among children but attention must now turn to older Australians who aren’t receiving critically important cancer, pneumococcal and in- fluenza vaccines. University of New South Wales lecturer Dr Robert Menzies said successful crackdowns on anti-vaxxers had boosted coverage among children to over 90 per cent but about 150,000 remained dangerously under-vaccinated.
“We’ve got to the stage now where vaccination is a lifetime process but we’re doing so well with childhood immunisation that it’s time to move on to adults,” he said.
Dr Menzies led research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia today, which identified 150,000 undervaccinated teenagers. Just 73 per cent of adolescent girls are fully vaccinated against human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer.
Meanwhile, only 51 per cent of the 3.5 million Australians aged over 65 who are eligible for a free pneumococcal and annual influenza vaccination receive it.
About 3000 people die from influenza every year – the majority are elderly.
“There are lots of people who are very keen to get their kids or grandkids vaccinated but then don’t worry about themselves,” Dr Menzies said
Another severely undervaccinated cohort is adults with a chronic disease, such as diabetes, with about 1.8 million missing out on the flu shot.
Research co-author and UNSW professor Raina MacIntyre said adult vaccination coverage was vital to protect the wider community.
“For things like whooping cough, the majority of cases are occurring in adults – most of the transmission is in grandparents,” she said.
“With pneumococcal and influenza the highest burdens in the elderly, we see outbreaks in hospitals and nursing homes, and if vaccinated, the chances would reduce.”