About the report

Summary

The Vaccination for Our Mob report is based on the NCIRS report on vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2016–2019, published in the journal Communicable Diseases Intelligence in 2023 and available here.

The purpose of this publication is to provide a summary of the NCIRS report in a format that is accessible for health professionals and community-based workers. It is intended to highlight the positive impacts the National Immunisation Program has had on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, as well as some of the continuing challenges relating to vaccine preventable diseases and vaccine coverage.

NCIRS would like to thank the NCIRS Aboriginal Advisory Group for their guidance and Little Rocket for the development of the website.

What does the Vaccination for Our Mob report cover?

The Vaccination for Our Mob report presents each disease that can be vaccinated against and prevented by a vaccine available under the National Immunisation Program. It outlines how the disease is spread, its signs and symptoms, who is most affected, how common the disease is and the proportion of people vaccinated against the disease (vaccine coverage).

It is based on routinely collected disease notification, hospital admission, death and vaccine coverage data from across Australia. It reports on the last four-year reporting period, from 2016 to 2019, and compares Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (other Australians) rates over this time. In some instances, it refers to rates from years prior to 2016 to highlight changes over a longer timeframe.

In acknowledgement of feedback on the previous Vaccination for Our Mob report 2011–2015, changes have been made to the format and design of the report, including the addition of a clear outline of what the report does and does not include, what information is presented, the addition of links and resources and digitisation of the report.

Key achievements and moving forward for vaccine preventable diseases in Australia for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

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Vaccine preventable diseaseKey achievementsMoving forward
DiphtheriaDiphtheria is rare in Australia due to long-standing immunisation programs.Maintain high vaccination coverage and disease surveillance.
Hepatitis AHepatitis A notification rates among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people decreased after the immunisation program for young children was introduced in 2005. They have remained low, with the all-age notification rate in the 2016–2019 period less than half of that in other Australians.Maintain vaccination coverage and disease surveillance.
Hepatitis BLow rates of hepatitis B in people aged <15 years, both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and other, demonstrate the success of the universal infant immunisation program introduced in 2000.Improve hepatitis B vaccination uptake in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adults, either through existing jurisdictional programs or inclusion on the National Immmunisation Program (NIP), to address higher rates of infection and complications.
Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) diseaseNotification rates of invasive Hib disease in children aged <5 years, both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and other, have decreased by >99% since the introduction of vaccination in 1993.Optimise timeliness of Hib vaccination in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children, given notification rate in the ˂5 years age group is 12 times higher than in other children, with earlier average age of infection.
Human papillomavirus (HPV)Rates of HPV infection, genital warts and cervical pre-cancers have decreased by 70–90% in relevant age groups, both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and other, since the introduction of the HPV vaccination program in 2007.Strongly promote HPV vaccination among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adolescents. (As of February 2023, it is a single-dose schedule.)   
Ensure high-quality Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status reporting to cervical screening and cancer registers.
InfluenzaVaccination coverage in 2019 was higher among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people than other Australians, across all age groups.Strongly promote influenza vaccination for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people of all ages and address barriers to uptake, given the high levels of morbidity and mortality associated with this disease.
MeaslesNotification and hospitalisation rates in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people remain low across all age groups, with the all-age notification rate half that in other Australians.Maintain high vaccination coverage and disease surveillance.   
 
Meningococcal diseaseRoutine meningococcal C vaccination, implemented from 2003, has resulted in the near elimination of serogroup C disease in Australia.Reduce barriers to uptake of meningococcal vaccination for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents, and assess need for expansion of NIP-funded programs, given relatively high rates of disease.
MumpsCoverage of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is very high among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children (99% 2-dose coverage by 5 years of age).Closely monitor evidence around potential need for routine MMR booster (third) doses, given recent mumps outbreaks in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities and concerns about waning of vaccine-induced immunity.
PertussisThe notification rate in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infants was 18% lower in the 2016–2019 period than in the 2011–2015 period.   
 		Improve timeliness of the first two infant doses of pertussis-containing vaccine as well as uptake of maternal pertussis vaccination during pregnancy to protect Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infants, who are at high risk of severe pertussis.
Pneumococcal diseaseInvasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) notification rates in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents were 23% lower in children aged <5 years in the 2016–2019 period than in the 2011–2015 period, and 60% lower in those aged 5–14 years. Notification rates among adults aged ≥50 years is increasing.    
Coverage of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV) was high among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children (97% for dose 3, assessed at 24 months), resulting in a decline in rates of IPD caused by the additional six serotypes covered by 13vPCV compared to the previous 7-valent vaccine.		Promote high uptake of pneumococcal vaccination among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adults aged ≥50 years and younger individuals with underlying medical conditions.   
Monitor invasive pneumococcal disease epidemiology in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to identify any need for expanded access to NIP-funded vaccines (both current and newer, higher-valency vaccines).
PolioAustralia was declared free of endemic polio transmission by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000; there were no notifications of polio in the 2016–2019 period.Maintain high vaccination coverage and disease surveillance.
RotavirusRotavirus hospitalisation rates in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infants have decreased by approximately 80% since the national rotavirus immunisation program was introduced in 2007.Optimise timeliness of vaccination in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infants, who are at high risk of severe disease.    
Consider other potential strategies, such as loosening of current strict upper age limits for rotavirus vaccines.
RubellaRubella was declared eliminated from Australia by the WHO in 2018. There was one notification among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in the 2016–2019 period.Maintain high vaccination coverage and disease surveillance.
TetanusTetanus is rare in Australia due to long-standing immunisation programs. There were no notifications of tetanus among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in the 2016–2019 period.Maintain high vaccination coverage and disease surveillance.
Varicella (chickenpox)The all-age varicella hospitalisation rate in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people has decreased by 67% since the national varicella immunisation program was introduced in 2005.    
The varicella hospitalisation rate among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged <5 years was 53% lower in the 2016–2019 period than in the 2011–2015 period.		Maintain high vaccination coverage and disease surveillance.
Zoster (shingles)Zoster hospitalisation rates in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, which were rising prior to the introduction of the national zoster vaccination program in 2016, have plateaued and, more recently, may have started to decrease.Increase zoster vaccination coverage.   
Monitor disease rates to identify any need for expanded access to NIP-funded vaccines (both the current live vaccine and newer inactivated vaccines).

A note about COVID-19

We acknowledge the impact that COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, on our communities across the country. We also acknowledge the strength, resilience and self-determination of our communities in the face of COVID-19. While, at the time of writing, COVID-19 is a vaccine preventable disease, it is not a disease covered in this report because the first case of COVID-19 did not occur until 2020 (outside the reporting period); nor is COVID-19 covered under the National Immunisation Program. We suggest finding the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 here.

Acknowledgement

NCIRS would like to acknowledge each of the individuals who authored chapters in the NCIRS report on vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2016–2019.

The development of the Vaccination for Our Mob report was primarily undertaken by a working group with a strong Aboriginal representation. Seaneen Wallace, a Gungarri woman, Larissa Karpish, a Ngunnawal woman, and Kiya Shipley, a Kamilaroi and Yorta Yorta woman, made contributions to this community version as a part of their NSW Aboriginal Population Health Training Initiative placements at NCIRS. Katrina Clark, a Barkindji woman and National Indigenous Immunisation Coordinator at NCIRS, provided senior leadership and guidance throughout the development of this report. Katie Sultana, a Wonnarua woman, and Salema Barrett provided advice on and coordinated visual design and communications.

NCIRS would also like to thank the NCIRS Cultural Governance Group for their guidance and Little Rocket for the development of the webpage.

Artwork

The Aboriginal artwork for this report was produced by Samantha Williams (Vale 1988 – 2023), a proud Wiradjuri woman from Narrandera, NSW who we would like to recognise for her significant contributions to community through her work in health & immunisation. This artwork was commissioned in 2018 as part of NCIRS’s rebranding, with the theme ‘Protect your Mob – Get vaccinated’. The artwork adorns a range of NCIRS communications materials, including printed and web-based media.

The artwork’s design represents our communities in the centre, from our home to the wider community. The symbols around the circle represent the people, both men and women; this could be anyone from mothers, fathers and gran It is our responsibility to keep our mob healthy. We need to educate our younger generation and communities about the importance of immunisations and how they keep us protected. The lines going out from the circle represent our journeys, jobs, relocation and impacts we have made along the way. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families may relocate from one community to another. We have mob all over, but no matter where we go the story is the same – we need to protect our mob – so the smaller circles represent herd immunity across our communities, and the people that this has an impact on – our elders, our babies and our people who cannot be immunised.

Artwork

Kids Research, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, 
Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St, 
Westmead Locked Bag 4001, 
Westmead NSW 2145  
ABN 53 188 579 090

SCHN-NCIRS@health.nsw.gov.au

We acknowledge that the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) is on the land of traditional owners who are part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Australians, and recognise their culture, history, diversity and their deep connection to the land. Together, through research and partnership, we aim to move to a place of equity for all. NCIRS acknowledges and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations from which our research, staff and community are drawn.