Immunisation rates now online

Data on current rates of immunisation for regions across Queensland will be published on the Government’s health performance website from today.

The measure – a further bid to strengthen public support for vaccination - follows the launch of the Government’s multi-million dollar Queensland Immunisation Strategy last month.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said adding immunisation rates to the Queensland Health performance website put the issue on public view, beside emergency department and elective surgery wait times.

“Immunisation is a serious issue and it’s important for the community to be able to keep track of the local vaccination campaign, and take an interest in the health of their community,” he said.

 “We have set an ambitious target of 95 per cent of all Queensland children being fully vaccinated in our immunisation strategy. It includes a smart phone app ‘VacciDate’ and free whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women among its initiatives.

 “By making the data available online and updated quarterly, we keep our progress open and transparent.”

 The Minister said the data would be broken down by the 16 Hospital and Health Services which share similar boundaries to the nationally-funded Medicare Locals.

 “I have written to our state health services asking them for their commitment in helping to boost immunisation rates at the local level,” Mr Springborg said.

 “Hospital and Health Services know they can share in $3 million in incentive funding for boosting their local immunisation rates through their local knowledge and networks.

 “I look forward to monitoring our progress in this space.”

 The data is now available at http://www.health.qld.gov.au/hospitalperformance/immunisation.aspx?id=99998

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

[ENDS] 26 August 2014

Media Contact: Cameron Thompson 0407 585 230

Fast facts:

Immunisation strategy key planks:

o   Smart phone app available for use on Apple and Android devices

o   Marketing campaign

o   Free whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women in their third trimester

o   Working with GPs and Hospital and Health Services

o   Improvements to the School Based Immunisation Program

o   Improving access to quality immunisation-related information

• 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