NCIRS: Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2024
这 National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has published a comprehensive report on vaccination coverage across age groups and geographical areas in Australia. NCIRS notes several key takeaways from the report:
- HPV vaccination in adolescent girls and boys is below the target of 90% coverage and has declined since 2020.
- The percentage of fully vaccinated children has decreased between 2023 and 2024 at all key milestones (12 months, 24 months and 60 years of age).
- Adult vaccine coverage is consistently suboptimal across all vaccines.
- Coverage of Prevenar 13 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults increased by 8% compared to 2023.
Read the report in full: Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2024
The New York Times: Diphtheria, a Once Vanquished Killer of Children, Is Resurgent
Countries with civil wars or large populations of refugees are seeing diphtheria outbreaks. This recent article examines the resurgence of diphtheria, its spread fuelled by “disruptions in routine immunization that came with Covid and its stress on global health systems, and the rise in vaccine hesitancy”.
Diphtheria is a potentially life-threatening, acute bacterial illness. For more information on disease transmission, epidemiology and prevention, visit MVEC: Diphtheria.
New York Times: Diphtheria, a Once Vanquished Killer of Children, Is Resurgent
Australian Immunisation Handbook: Recent updates
The Australian Immunisation Handbook has recently been updated with minor changes to several sections:
- 疫苗接种
- 水痘
- Vaccination for people who are immunocompromised
- 结核病
- Tetanus
- Q fever
- Preparing for vaccination
- Poliomyelitis
- 百日咳
- 麻疹
- Infants exposed to immunosuppressive therapy in utero or through breastmilk
- 白喉
Each handbook entry includes a history of updates at the bottom of the web page, describing any changes made to the entry.
SBS: 'Concerning' or a sign of 'good things'? What Australia's flu record means
This recent article examines the higher number of lab-confirmed influenza in 2025 compared to 2024. The number of cases reported is up 10% from last year.
A range of experts highlight different factors to consider in the context of this year’s influenza rates: including, influenza testing rates, hospitalisation rates and vaccination rates.
SBS: 'Concerning' or a sign of 'good things'? What Australia's flu record means
For more information about influenza disease and vaccination, visit MVEC：流感
Victorian Department of Health: Local mpox transmission in Melbourne
The Victorian Department of Health has issued a health alert following an increase in mpox cases since mid-September. The 10 cases recently reported include 9 cases locally acquired in metropolitan Melbourne.
For more information about mpox, visit MVEC: Mpox.
Unbiased Science: Dying on Bradford's Hill: The Anti-Vaccine Movement's Favorite Epidemiology Trick
Following a recent essay unpacking the “anti-vaccine research playbook”, public health expert and science communicator Dr Jess Steier has published an article showing how the same “playbook” is applied to research on aluminium and vaccines.
Dr Steier and co-authors Izzy Figueroa and Paige Boklaschuk examine what aluminium does in vaccines and why, before assessing the research of Dr Christopher Shaw who studies the effects of aluminium.
Read the article in full at Unbiased Science: Dying on Bradford's Hill: The Anti-Vaccine Movement's Favorite Epidemiology Trick
WHO: Maldives becomes the first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’ of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B. Having previously eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, the Maldives is now the first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’.
This achievement is attributed to comprehensive antenatal care with nearly universal testing for these diseases, and the strong immunisation program. Over 95% of newborns consistently receive a timely dose of hepatitis B birth dose and full vaccine coverage.
For more information about hepatitis B disease and vaccination, visit MVEC：乙型肝炎.
Measles reminder and alerts
Amid increasing measles cases in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, the Australian Centre for Disease Control has issued a reminder to get vaccinated.
这 Victorian Department of Health recently issued a health alert following a new measles case in Victoria. The alert includes an up-to-date list of public exposure sites in Victoria.
Head to our immunisation reference pages MVEC：麻疹 for more information about measles disease, epidemiology and prevention.
ATAGI: Annual Statement on Immunisation 2025
On 14 October, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) published its fourth annual statement in immunisation. The statement highlights the key successes, trends and challenges in the use of vaccines and control of vaccine preventable diseases in Australia in 2024, and includes advice to address key issues for 2025.
The report identifies emerging and re-emerging vaccine-preventable diseases of particular concern, including:
- mpox
- pertussis (whooping cough).
The report is available to read in full on the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.
MVEC：麻疹
MVEC: Mpox
MVEC: Pertussis (whooping cough)
TGA: AIVC recommendations for the composition of influenza vaccines for Australia in 2026
The Australian Influenza Vaccine Committee (AIVC) met earlier this month to recommend the composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in Australia in 2026.
AIVC recommended the following viruses for vaccines used in Australia for the 2026 southern hemisphere trivalent influenza vaccines:
Egg-based influenza vaccines:
- A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
- A/Singapore/GP20238/2024 (H3N2)-like virus
- B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
Cell-based influenza vaccines:
- A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
- A/Sydney/1359/2024 (H3N2)-like virus
- B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
Read the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) statement on AIVC’s recommendations in full 这里.
AIVC’s recommendation aligns with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for influenza vaccine composition for the 2026 southern hemisphere influenza season.
There has been no detection of the naturally occurring B/Yamagata-lineage influenza virus since 2020. Therefore, in 2023 the World Health Organization (WHO) influenza vaccine advisory committee expressed the opinion that the inclusion of a B/Yamagata lineage antigen is no longer warranted.
For more information, read WHO Q&A on recommendations for 2024 south hemisphere composition of influenza vaccines.