The Turnbull Government will target parents across the country with a powerful message around the need to vaccinate their children, with a new campaign launching today.
Areas of low vaccination rates in one, two and five year olds will be micro targeted in every state and territory under the second phase of the ‘Get the Facts about Immunisation’ campaign.
And although immunisation rates in Australia are already high, with over 93 per cent of five-year-old children fully vaccinated, there are areas where the immunisation rate is too low.
It is these areas of low coverage which pose risks to the community, especially to people who can’t be vaccinated, like newborns and those with medical reasons.
The science is in and the medical experts’ advice is absolute – vaccinations save lives and protect lives and they are an essential part of a healthy society.
I have no time for the false and reckless claims made around vaccination by some in our community and I will continue call out their dangerous claims with the scientific facts.
This campaign will help parents access evidence based information to support their decision making about childhood vaccinations.
The second phase of the $5.5 million education campaign will run for six weeks through online video, social media and online search, as well as on screens in health clinics and GP surgeries.
The campaign will target parents of children aged five years and under and pregnant women and their partners.
Research has shown that when people are fully informed about the benefits of vaccination, they are more likely to vaccinate.
Parents will be able to ‘get the facts’ such as:
- Vaccines strengthen your child’s immune system.
- All childhood diseases we vaccinate against can cause serious illness, including death.
- All vaccines available in Australia have been thoroughly tested for safety and effectiveness and are continually monitored.
- Immunisation is a safe and effective way of giving protection against diseases such as whooping cough and measles.
Immunisation is one of the most powerful tools in modern medicine. It is essential for all Australian children to have all of their childhood vaccines, on time, to protect them and their community from dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases.
The first part of the campaign was launched last August and a detailed evaluation found it positively shifted how many parents feel about vaccination, with them more likely to vaccinate their children and become advocates in their communities.
This year alone, we’re investing $460 million in vaccines and activities which boost immunisation. This includes free vaccines against 17 vaccine preventable diseases, including 14 diseases for children aged four years or under.
You can find out more information about the campaign by visiting www.immunisationfacts.gov.au