It is hoped the Queensland Specialist Immunisation Service, based at the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, will boost immunisation rates across the state.
The service, funded by the Queensland Government at a cost of $1.6 million a year, will be extended across Queensland through tele-health.
A hotline will also be available for regional doctors to call the clinic for specific advice for patients.
The vaccine program will help children with cystic fibrosis, cancer, or those who have had transplants or other major procedures, who are at risk of an adverse event following immunisation.
“We will have specialised doctors and nurses who will help those children who may have complex health needs,” Health Minister Cameron Dick said.
The latest figures show an increase in immunisation rates for children in some age groups in Queensland.
In the last twelve months, for children aged one, the immunisation rate has gone from 91.7 per cent to 93.3 per cent, Mr Dick said.
For children aged two, the immunisation rate has gone from 89 per cent to 91.9 per cent, however the rate has remained at 92.7 per cent for children aged five.
The State is aiming to have 95 per cent of all Queensland children fully immunised by 2017.
“We’ve contacted 38,000 families directly, of children who are not up to their current or proper immunisation levels,” Mr Dick said.
“We’ve put them in contact with GPs or clinics across Queensland.
“We need to get the message out, constantly, that immunisation can help save lives.
“It’s not just children who benefit, adults benefit from children being immunised as well.”
By Courtney Wilson