User:Digitalwriter22/sandbox

''This page is about the National Immunisation Program Schedule in Australia. For a timeline of vaccines see Timeline of vaccines.''

National Immunisation Program Schedule in Australia
The National Immunisation Program Schedule sets out the immunisations Australians are given at different stages in their life. "It aims to increase national immunisation coverage to reduce the number of cases of diseases that are preventable by vaccination in Australia". "Vaccination is considered to be one of the greatest achievements of public health." The program starts for an Australian when they are born. Vaccinations are given at birth, then again when the baby is 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months. The immunisation schedule continues when the child is 4 years old, and then into adolescent years. There are also vaccinations for adults to prevent pneumococcal, and to prevent shingles (herpes zoster) in 70-79 year olds.

History
The National Immunisation Program was first introduced in Australia in 1997. The program was set up by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments. The most recent update to the National Immunisation Program was effective from 1st April 2019. This was an update from the 2007 schedule, one change including the introduction of meningococcal ACWY vaccination for adolescents. The National Immunisation Program Schedule includes vaccines that are funded for children, adolescents and adults. Additional vaccinations necessary when travelling to particular countries is not included in the program, nor are they funded.

"At September 2019, the national immunisation coverage rates were:


 * 94.27% for all one year olds
 * 91.43% for all two year olds
 * 94.82% for all five year olds."

The national coverage rate has increased over the last 10 years.

Observers have noted a wide range of positive and negative impacts of immunisations in Australia

Positives
The program is seen as important by the government for the following reasons:


 * "Many infectious diseases are rare or eradicated now as a result of immunisation programs, but new infectious diseases are appearing around the world."
 * "Immunisation helps protect future generations by eradicating diseases."
 * "It not only helps protect individuals, it also protects the broader community by minimising the spread of disease."
 * "All vaccines used in Australia undergo extensive research and must be approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Before a vaccine can be licensed, it is tested over several years to ensure it is safe and that it works."

Negatives
However, it is also believed that vaccinations have negatives. "There is the risk of harmful and toxic chemicals being introduced to the body. Some people or even children may react severely to these chemicals." It is believed there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccination (measles, mumps, and rubella). The "fear of autism is still today a frequently reported vaccine safety concern among parents in different settings." These perceived negatives have effected the national immunisation coverage rate.

Other negatives observed include:


 * Vaccines can cause harmful side effects, such as "seizures, fever, thrombocytopenia (temporary tendency to bruise easily), severe allergic reactions and encephalitis (from measles vaccines)". In 1999 the rotavirus vaccine has to be discontinued due to "its association with an uncommon type of bowel obstruction called intussusception (a rare bowel obstruction in infants)”.
 * Vaccines are believed to weaken the immune system.
 * Some vaccines contain animal products. This is an issue as it goes against some religious values, particularly for those of the Jewish and Islamic community.

Childhood Vaccinations
Birth


 * Hepatitis B

2 Weeks (Can be given from 6 weeks of age)


 * Diphtheria
 * Tetanus
 * Pertussis (whooping cough)
 * Hepatitis B
 * Polio
 * Haemophilus influenzae type b
 * Pneumococcal
 * Rotavirus ("First dose must be given by 14 weeks of age, and the second dose by 24 weeks of age" )

4 Months


 * Diphtheria
 * Tetanus
 * Pertussis (whooping cough)
 * Hepatitis B, polio
 * Haemophilus influenzae type b
 * Pneumococcal
 * Rotavirus

6 Months


 * Diphtheria
 * Tetanus
 * Pertussis (whooping cough)
 * Hepatitis B, polio
 * Haemophilus influenzae type b

12 Months


 * Meningococcal ACWY
 * Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR Vaccine)
 * Pneumococcal

18 Months


 * Haemophilus influenzae type b
 * Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR Vaccine)
 * Varicella (chickenpox)
 * Diphtheria
 * Tetanus
 * Pertussis (whooping cough)

4 Years


 * Diphtheria
 * Tetanus
 * Pertussis (whooping cough)
 * Polio

Adolescent Vaccinations
12 - 13 Years


 * Human papillomavirus (HPV)
 * Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough)

14 - 16 Years


 * Meningococcal ACWY

Adult Vaccinations
15 - 49 Years


 * Pneumococcal

50 Years and Over


 * Pneumococcal

70 - 79 Years


 * Shingles (herpes zoster)

How Vaccinations Work
Vaccines can be:


 * Live viruses. "Examples of live virus vaccines are the chickenpox vaccine and the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine"
 * Killed or weakened pathogens
 * Attenuated (harmless) strains of a pathogen
 * Inactivated toxins
 * Antibodies from blood of laboratory animals

Vaccinations work by creating immunity against disease by enabling the immune system to recognise and fight pathogens. . There are many vaccine preventable conditions and diseases, including smallpox, diphtheria and poliomyelitis. Through vaccinations, the disease smallpox was eradicated during the 20th century.

Vaccines can give either active immunity or passive immunity:

Active Immunity
"Active immunity results when exposure to a disease organism triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to that disease." This is gained through injecting molecules called antigens into the body. The body's immune response is stimulated, including the production of T lymphocyte (memory T cells), B lymphocytes (memory B cells) and antibodies. The implications of memory T and memory B cell production include:


 * Memory cells initiates a quick immune response if the individual comes into contact with the pathogen again
 * Long term immunity is produced

Passive Immunity
"Passive immunity is provided when a person is given antibodies to a disease rather than producing them through his or her own immune system. A newborn baby acquires passive immunity from its mother through the placenta. A person can also get passive immunity through antibody-containing blood products such as immune globulin, which may be given when immediate protection from a specific disease is needed." The antibodies come from another organism, and are given to a person in response to infection by a pathogen.

The implications of passive immunity include:


 * Immediate protection to the individual
 * No memory T or memory B cells produced
 * Immunity only lasts a few weeks
 * It may bring the risk of a reaction against foreign blood proteins

Diphtheria
"Diphtheria is a contagious disease, spread by an infected person’s coughing, sneezing or open wounds." Symptoms include: Sore throat, fever, chills, breathing difficulties, swollen lymph nodes. In the early 1900s, diphtheria caused more deaths in Australia than any other infectious disease. Increasing use of diphtheria vaccines since World War II has led to its virtual disappearance. The disease is caused by the bacterial microorganism Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Measles
"Measles is a highly contagious disease, spread by the droplets from when an infected person coughs and sneezes. Symptoms include a red rash and fever". Other symptoms include runny nose, inflamed eyes, and "A skin rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another". "Measles remains one of the leading causes of death among young children, even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available. In March 2014, the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) declared that endemic measles was eliminated from Australia. This was because an endemic measles strain had not been circulating for several years." The disease is caused by a virus from the Rubeola virus, which belongs to the Paramyxovirus family.

Mumps
"Mumps is a highly contagious disease, spread through contact with an infected person. Symptoms including fever and swelling of the face." The disease is caused by a paramyxovirus from the genus Rubulavirus. "About one in 200 children with mumps will develop brain inflammation, which can be very serious. Mumps can also damage nerves, which can lead to deafness." There has been 8 deaths caused by mumps between the years 1997 and 2016, but since the vaccine was introduced in 1983, there have been no childhood deaths.

Rubella
Rubella, also known as German Measles, is a viral disease that causes a red skin rash, headaches, fevers, and malaise. "Rubella is caused by an enveloped togavirus from the genus Rubivirus." "The incidence of rubella has fallen rapidly since rubella vaccine was registered in 1970" and is now under control in Australia.

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a virus caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). The virus can be passed from an infected person to a non infected person through bodily fluids including blood, semen and vaginal fluids. The virus causes liver inflammation. "Between 2006 and 2015, the notification rate of newly acquired hepatitis B in Australia declined from 1.4 to 0.6 per 100,000 population."

Statistics of Vaccine Preventable Conditions and Diseases in Australia
-

Citations and References
Category:Vaccination | Category:Health in Australia