Vaccine pilot to protect mums and bubs

Published Wednesday, 09 July, 2014 at 12:19 PM

JOINT STATEMENT

Premier
The Honourable Campbell Newman

Minister for Health
The Honourable Lawrence Springborg

A vaccination program for pregnant women will help protect their newborn babies from deadly whooping cough as part of the Queensland Government’s new immunisation strategy.

Unveiling the initiative at a Brisbane childcare centre today, Premier Campbell Newman said the program would address the first few weeks of life, during which newborns exposed to whooping cough were in deadly danger.

“Queensland will be the first state in Australia to provide this free vaccine to women in their third trimester of pregnancy where it is safe to do so,” Mr Newman said.

“This Government is dedicated to improving frontline health care and this program is a key part of a vaccination strategy that will protect Queenslanders of all ages and walks of life.

“Infants typically had their first whooping cough vaccination at two months of age, so the vaccine for pregnant women would cover the baby for those crucial first few months.

“Whooping cough is highly contagious and very serious for babies and young children, so by minimising their exposure to the virus we can give our newborns the very best start in life.”

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said immunisation rates in Queensland were generally on-par with other states and territories, but communities could not afford to become complacent.

“Our strategy is to ensure that 95 per cent of Queensland children and 85 per cent of adolescents are fully immunised,” Mr Springborg said.

“All Queenslanders should embrace this strategy and work together to achieve our vision of having the highest immunisation rates in Australia.”

Vaccines listed on the National Immunisation Program Schedule are free for eligible children and adults.

To read the strategy, visit the Queensland Government’s publication portal at https://publications.qld.gov.au/ and search for immunisation.

For more information on immunisation visit the Queensland Government website: www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/immunisation/index.html

[ENDS] Wednesday 09 July 2014


Media Contact:
Cameron Thompson 0407 585 230

AUDIO AVAILABLE https://soundcloud.com/qldpremier/immunisation-strategy

Fast facts:

  •          Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2013, 16,442 cases of whooping in children and adolescents were notified to Queensland Health, resulting in six deaths
  •          Currently over 15,000 Queensland children aged one, two and five are not fully immunised
  •          An  immunisation rate of  95 per cent is the immunisation campaign’s target, which will provide optimal protection against all vaccine preventable diseases  
  •          Main area of concern in Queensland is the Sunshine Coast which currently has 89.6 per cent of one and two year-olds  fully immunised, and 87.9 per cent of five year-olds.