Immunisation: kids at risk of deadly diseases

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ALMOST 10% of Toowoomba youngest children are not protected against preventable killer diseases.

ARM Newsdesk analysis of Australian Childhood Immunisation Register data reveals 7.3% of the region’s one, two and five-year-olds are not immunised against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, meningococcal, chickenpox and other illnesses.

The region’s immunisation rate of 92.7% is 2.3% lower than the national target of 95%.

Two-year-olds are the least immunised with 8.2% – 160 of Toowoomba’s 1948 Medicare-registered toddlers – going without their jabs.

About 6.9% – 132 – of the region’s 1913 five-year-olds have not been immunised and 130 – or 6.7% – of our area’s 1929 one-year-olds are not protected from childhood diseases.

Toowoomba’s chief medico Dr Penny Hutchinson said immunisation saved lives.

 “Immunisations protect children from some very serious childhood diseases,” the Darling Downs Public Health Unit director said.

“These diseases used to cause quite significant illness, disability and even death in young children, which is why we developed vaccines.”

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Dr Hutchinson urged parents to talk about the risks with their doctors.

“It’s very important that parents talk to their healthcare providers and tell them about their concerns,” she said.

“Any good healthcare provider will take those concerns on board and provide information back to the parents.

“It is important that parents are well informed.”

All of the country’s chief health officers agreed last year to a national immunisation target of 95%.

The target takes into account children who cannot be immunised for health reasons and is considered the perfect rate to keep diseases at bay.

National Health Performance Authority CEO Dr Diane Watson said the newly-released ACIR data would help authorities better target immunisation strategies for the region.

“What we really want to see now are similar improvements in so many local areas where immunisation rates have remained largely unchanged over the past year,” Dr Watson said. 

WHY IMMUNISE?

Any reactions to immunisation are generally mild and usually do not need medical treatment.

The risk of complications from childhood diseases is much higher than the risks from immunisation.

Delaying immunisation may leave children vulnerable to diseases.

Combining vaccines reduces the number of injections that babies and children need.

Every vaccine used in Australia has Therapeutic Goods Administration approval.

– ARM NEWSDESK