Vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination coverage in Australia, 1999 to 2000

Abstract

Volume 26, Supplement, May 2002 The second comprehensive report on the epidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) and vaccination coverage in Australia is now available.The report reviews the most recently available data about notifications (1999 to 2000), hospitalisations (1998/1999 to 1999/2000) and deaths (1998 to 2000) for diseases targeted by the Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule in 2000 (measles, mumps, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, rubella, Hib disease, hepatitis B, influenza and polio) as well as 4 other vaccine preventable diseases that were not on the schedule in 2000 (varicella, hepatitis A, pneumococcal and meningococcal disease). Recent trends in vaccination coverage using data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Registry (ACIR) are also reported. It provides an update of, and comparison with, the data presented in the first report (1993 to 1998).There were continued declines in notification rates for Hib disease, measles and rubella while pertussis remained the most commonly notified disease preventable by childhood vaccination. Influenza accounted for the highest number of hospitalisations and deaths of any vaccine preventable disease. In the review period, vaccination coverage targets reached those set by the 'Immunise Australia' program.This report is a valuable resource for health professionals, providing evidence of the impact of recent and ongoing initiatives in disease control and a baseline against which further changes can be measured.