News and media

The Australian Government has committed $33 million towards research to combat high-mortality and low-survivability cancers and diseases, improve paediatric acute care using genomic medicine, and address the ethical, legal and social issues related to genomics in health care.

The Australian Government, together with the Minderoo Foundation, will provide an additional $67 million to ensure every child in Australia with cancer will have access to life-saving treatment.

Delivering the world’s best mental health system — stigma-free and focused on prevention, starting with children under 12 — is the major focus of the Australian Government’s Long Term National Health Plan, outlined today.

The Australian Government is continuing to step up its commitment with the Pacific, pledging an additional $19 million to boost health care across the region.

The Australian Government is expanding access to a critically important medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) that will help infants living with Cystic Fibrosis and save their families up to $300,000 per year.

The number of Australian children who are fully immunised continues to increase to record levels with new data showing more parents are getting the message to protect their children with life-saving vaccines.

AusVaxSafety is a national system for monitoring vaccine safety in Australia. The report shows how parents and carers responded to the SMS about their child's health a few days after their vaccination at each schedule point in the National Immunisation Program (NIP) in Australia in 2016-17.

The Australian Government will invest $3 million under the Medical Research Future Fund to advance stem cell research projects for kids.

Recent data released by the Australian Immunisation Register shows coverage rates amongst Australian children continue to improve.

The ‘Get the facts about immunisation’ campaign has launched to encourage Australian parents and carers to get their kids vaccinated.

From early 2018, young Australians have free access to the new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil®9 that protects against more types of HPV infection.

Coverage rates amongst Australian children continue to improve with 5 year old children having the highest coverage rates in history. 94% of Australian 5 year olds and over 96% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 5 year olds are now fully vaccinated.

The Australian Government is extending childhood immunisation arrangements for family assistance payments to increase immunisation rates of children residing in Australia.

An additional $6 incentive payment will be made to vaccination providers and GPs who follow up and vaccinate children.

A pertussis (whooping cough) booster has been added to the NIP for children at 18 months of age.

Meningococcal B vaccine and clinical advice for immunisation providers regarding the use of Bexsero® (4CMenB). From 5 March 2014, the recombinant multicomponent meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero® (4CMenB) became available through purchase on the private market.

The Pertussis Chapter, 4.12, of the 10th Edition of the Australian Immunisation Handbook has been updated and includes two changes to recommendations in the administration of pertussis-containing vaccine.

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) clinical advice to support the introduction of Rotarix® to replace RotaTeq® in specified Australian states (Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland) from 1 July 2017.

The Australian Government launched the 'Get the facts about immunisation' campaign in August 2017 to encourage Australian parents and carers to get their kids vaccinated.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children will be able to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program from 2015.

A national immunisation coverage target provides a goal against which Australia can measure its immunisation coverage. The Global Vaccine Action Plan 2011-2020 encourages countries to demonstrate a commitment to immunisation.