On Tuesday last week, the Parliamentary Friends of Medicine ‘Future of Vaccines’ event, co-chaired by the Hon. Dr David Gillespie MP and Dr Mike Freelander MP, and hosted by Medicines Australia’s Vaccines Industry Group, examined existing and emerging infectious diseases, novel vaccines in development, and the barriers and opportunities to vaccine access and uptake in Australia.
Reflecting on his experience as a paediatrician earlier in his career, Dr Freelander said thousands of children suffered from measles and polio before affordable vaccines were available. “We have forgotten what it’s like to have widespread infectious disease in the community,” he said.
Dr Andrew Minton, CEO of the Immunisation Coalition, discussed changing perceptions and value of vaccines by Australians and declining vaccination rates, particularly in influenza and booster rates for COVID-19 in older Australians.
“Childhood vaccination rates for under-five-year-olds being fully immunised is good news and is still close to 95%. Unfortunately, influenza vaccination in the same group is only 27%. Older adult vaccination rates are also starting to decline, and both need to be addressed urgently,” said Dr Minton.
“COVID-19 death rates are still unacceptably high, with 669 and 448 in June and July. Data from August onwards is difficult to find.”
Several other disease areas were raised, but “as there is a lack of current and robust vaccination data, it is difficult to know how much of the general public is vaccinated against preventable infectious diseases. Until we have visibility and work together as a collective, we are not really utilising the NIP to its full potential.”
“Other factors driving undervaccination include misinformation around effectiveness, safety, access issues in regional and remote Australia, out-of-pocket costs, cultural considerations, language barriers, post-COVID-19 fatigue, and a multitude of other factors. We can only address and solve these problems together by focusing on key issues that are underpinning undervaccination and declining vaccination rates,” Dr Minton said. “Public awareness of disease burden needs to be addressed.”
Professor Terry Nolan AO FAHMS, a paediatrician and clinical epidemiologist, discussed the importance of recognising the full value and benefit of vaccines, particularly as new vaccines become available.
“The so-called post-COVID vaccine hesitancy in Australia is less a result of diminished trust in the vaccines themselves, and more a growing indifference and resistance to their perceived potential benefits both by consumers and healthcare professionals,” Prof Nolan said. “Over the next five years, we may see several new vaccines addressing conditions we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago. The HTA Review has highlighted a near-term achievable improvement in our processes, with nearly halving of the time required for a funding decision.”
Medicines Australia CEO Liz de Somer said collaboration and getting on with HTA reform are key to improving vaccination rates in Australia.
“Immunisation is key to primary health. We know that preventing illness and reducing transmission of communicable diseases reduces costs in other areas of the health system. It is important Government, industry, and other stakeholders work together to address declining vaccination rates, given the significant benefit that vaccines provide to society—from improved health and wellbeing to productivity and the overall economy.”
“Prior to COVID, vaccination rates were increasing, so we know the decline in trust is relatively new and can be rebuilt. Delays in making new vaccines available on the NIP are also costing the nation. The HTA Review has made clear recommendations to improve the time it takes for vaccines to be assessed and made available on the National Immunisation Program,” said Liz de Somer.
The current delay from TGA registration to PBS listing of vaccines is an average time of 1,375 days—nearly four years—which is unacceptable. “It’s time to get on with HTA reform.”
