JAMA: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at a Crossroads
Following their dismissal earlier this month from Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 17 former members have authored an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The article outlines the history, function and importance of ACIP and highlights the authors' concern for the impact on US immunisation policy.
ACIP is the national immunisation technical advisory group (NITAG) for the United States – the equivalent of Australia’s ATAGI. ACIP has been an internationally recognised leading NITAG, holding three regular meetings each year in which the committee reviews scientific data and votes on US vaccine recommendations. These meetings have been open to the public via live webcast, and materials, including all presentation slides, have been made available for download following the meetings.
Find more information about NITAGs on the Global NITAG Network’s (GNN) website.
AHPC statement on measles
With the recent increase in measles cases occurring internationally and across Australia, the Australian Health Protection Committee (AHPC) has highlighted 4 key priority areas to focus efforts:
- on-time vaccination for children
- catch-up vaccination for children and adults
- vaccination for travellers (including an additional measles vaccination for those aged 6–11 months travelling to countries where outbreaks are occurring)
- nationally consistent information for healthcare providers and the public.
Measles is highly infectious, causing severe disease and complications (including otitis media, pneumonia, encephalitis, and can be fatal). Between 1 January and 27 May 2025, 77 people have been diagnosed with measles in Australia, most were people aged 20 to 49 years who were either unvaccinated or unsure of vaccine status and had travelled overseas.
Vaccination is very effective in preventing disease; receiving 2 doses of a measles-containing vaccines will protect 99% of people.
For more information, read the full AHPC statement.
MVEC: Measles
RSV Awareness Week: 1–7 June 2025
It is national RSV Awareness Week. Led by Immunisation Foundation Australia, this annual campaign aims to raise awareness of RSV and its impact, as well as champion RSV protection for infants and older adults.
Visit the RSV Awareness Week website for RSV resources and campaign assets to promote RSV protection. You can also learn more about RSV at MVEC: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
ABC: Australia's childhood vaccination rates are declining, sparking fears about risk to herd immunity
The ABC reports childhood vaccination rates have steadily declined since COVID-19.
The article highlights decreases in vaccination rates overall among 2-year-old children and HPV vaccine uptake among teens. Experts and those with lived experience of vaccine-preventable disease emphasise the importance of herd protection and risks associated with disease.
Read the ABC’s full article for more information.
NCIRS: Interim coverage data for 2024
Healthed: Measles cases are rising rapidly – and young travellers are at particular risk
In a recent article for Healthed, MVEC director Prof Nigel Crawford examines the recent resurgence of measles cases in Victoria.
Prof Crawford addresses special considerations for infants travelling overseas, and more.
Read the article in full via Healthed’s website (CPD available).
Learn more about measles at MVEC: Measles
Victorian Department of Health: Measles alerts continue
The Victorian Department of Health’s alert on measles continues to be updated. The latest update on 19 May 2025 includes an up-to-date list of active exposure sites in Victoria.
According to the Health Department, a significant number of recent measles cases have acquired their infection locally in Victoria. The majority of recent cases have arisen in people who have not had two documented doses of the MMR vaccine.
Read the alert in full at the department’s page Health alerts: New measles case in Victoria.
Learn more about measles disease and vaccination at MVEC: Measles
Check out MVEC director Prof Nigel Crawford’s recent Healthed article and podcast which both cover the current measles resurgence.
Australian Immunisation Handbook: Vaccination for special risk groups updated
The Australian Immunisation Handbook guidance about the vaccination of special risk groups was recently updated.
As of 2 May 2025, a significantly updated chapter on immunocompromise provides clear definitions and categorises the level of immunocompromise across various types of conditions. Subsections in this chapter include:
- Introduction and general principles
- Inborn errors of immunity (IEI), including primary immunodeficiency
- Secondary (acquired) immunodeficiency due to medical conditions
- Secondary (acquired) immunodeficiency due to medical therapies
- People with asplenia and hyposplenia
- Infants exposed to immunosuppressive therapy in utero or through breastmilk
- Close contacts of people who are immunocompromised
- Travellers who are immunocompromised.
The Vaccination for women who are planning pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding and Vaccination for international travellers chapters were also updated.
MVEC: Immunosuppression and vaccines
MVEC: Immunosuppression in pregnancy and infant vaccine recommendations
MVEC: Maternal vaccination
AAP FactCheck debunks more circulating vaccine misinformation
AAP FactCheck has recently assessed online claims regarding the COVID-19 and MMR vaccines.
According to the FactCheck team, a Facebook post claiming that myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccines will lead to millions of deaths is based on a misrepresentation of the Cleaveland Clinic’s information published about viral myocarditis.
Read AAP FactCheck’s full article for a detailed breakdown of why the claim is false.
Go to MVEC: COVID-19 for information about COVID-19 disease, epidemiology and vaccination.
AAP FactCheck has also deemed that claims a baby in the US developed measles from the MMR vaccine are misleading. Health authorities say there is no evidence that the vaccine caused measles in this case.
AAP FactCheck: Misinformation spreads amid measles outbreak
MVEC: Measles
TGA: Arexvy approved for use in adults aged 50 to 59 with RSV risk
The Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) has extended the approval of the RSV vaccine Arexvy to include adults aged 50 to 59 years who are at increased risk for RSV disease.
Arexvy is also approved for use in all adults aged 60 years and older.
For more information on RSV disease and vaccination, see MVEC’s updated RSV immunisation reference.
World Immunization Week 2025
This year's World Immunization Week runs from 24 April - 30 April 2025 and highlights the critical need to protect all communities against vaccine-preventable diseases and champion that Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible.
Vaccines are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Over the last 50 years, essential vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives. That’s 6 lives a minute, every day, for five decades. In these 50 years, vaccination accounts for 40% of the improvement in infant survival, and more children now live to see their first birthday and beyond than at any other time in human history. Measles vaccine alone accounts for 60% of those lives saved.
Yet there are more lives to be saved by building on these achievements. Globally, 14.5 million children missed all vaccinations in 2023. In today’s interconnected world, an outbreak anywhere is a threat everywhere.
What can you do?
- make sure you are up to date with your routine vaccines
- if going overseas, ensure you see your immunisation provider at least 6 weeks prior to see if there are additional vaccines recommended for you
- share trusted information on vaccines to stop the spread of misinformation.