Key Points
- Australian year 7, 8 and 10 students receive free vaccination at schools through the National Immunisation Program.
- The report says the number of adolescent vaccinations in 2020 and 2021 was lower than in 2019.
- It recommends developing targeted resources for CALD communities to facilitate catch-up vaccination.
Sydney resident Sarah (name changed) deferred her daughter's vaccination at school following a COVID-19 jab last year.
Sarah said she was unsure how the COVID-19 vaccine might react with human papillomavirus (HPV) and diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (dTpa) vaccines, usually given to year 7 or 8 students (depending on state or territories) at schools .
Her daughter is in year 8 and is yet to take the recommended vaccines through the National Immunisation Program.
"I have always been a pro-vaxxer when it comes to childhood immunisation, but after unpleasant side effects of the COVID vaccine myself, I began to question," the mother of two told SBS.
Sarah was hesitant and posted questions about the interval gap between a COVID-19 vaccine and school-based vaccination and vaccine safety on her local mum's Facebook, only to be bombarded with negative comments.
She said many pointed out the complication caused by COVID vaccines and how one shouldn't follow the government without proper research.
"You can see how the vaccine hesitancy with COVID has found its way into other routine vaccines," she said, feeling reluctant to talk openly.
Sarah, a member of the Chinese community, is not the only parent with doubts.
NCIRS research fellow Dr Maryke Steffens, who spoke to parents for the study, said the pandemic appears to have strengthened vaccine hesitancy.
"They were likely hesitant before the pandemic came along. However, their experience during the pandemic made that more front-of-mind and deepened the hesitancy," Dr Steffens tells SBS.
The NCIRS latest report, , concluded parents' pre-existing vaccine hesitancy might have been exacerbated by personal negative experiences with COVID-19 vaccination, social influence from vaccine-hesitant people and mistrust towards government communication about the pandemic COVID-19 vaccines.
AIHI Portraits 9 May 2018 2018-0509 Credit: Paul Wright/Paul Wright Photography
"Examples included themselves or their children being barred from social and sporting events, refused health care, and losing friends over vaccination issues.
"These pressures and negative social repercussions exacerbated their negative feelings towards COVID-19 vaccination and, for some, routine adolescent vaccinations as well," the report added.
The report noted that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation "changing" advice on the interval between COVID-19 and school-based vaccinations from 14 days to 7 and then zero and "vaccine fatigue" were other contributing factors.
In Australia, students in years 7, 8 and 10 can receive free vaccination at school through the National Immunisation Program.
The vaccines include the vaccines.
The report said though the overall pandemic impacts on adolescent vaccination uptake were relatively limited in Australia compared to other countries, the number of adolescent vaccinations given in 2020 and 2021 was lower than in 2019.
For instance, the number of vaccinations decreased by 10–11per cent for the first dose of the HPV vaccine (the Australian government on 3 February changed the requirement to one dose), 11–14 per cent for dTpa and 2–6 per cent for the ACWY vaccine.
The report, however, acknowledges some positive impacts of the pandemic.
For instance, many parents decided to vaccinate their children against influenza based on their GP's or the government's recommendations. They learnt about catch-up sessions from their school via newsletter, parent portal or email.
"Many parents acknowledged gaps in their knowledge about the adolescent vaccination schedule, especially compared to the childhood schedule, and indicated this could be due to lack of an equivalent of the hand-held child health record," the report noted.
NCIRS Associate Director of Coverage, Evaluation and Surveillance Frank Beard, who led the report, said it is essential to build on the lessons learned in this pandemic and documented in the report to strengthen ongoing school-based vaccination programs.
Associate Professor Frank Beard – Associate Director Coverage, Evaluation and Surveillance, NCIRS Credit: NCIRS Media
The report recommended that the government develop targeted resources for priority populations, such as CALD communities, to facilitate catch-up vaccination.
"Proceed cautiously if considering inclusion of COVID-19 within the school-based vaccination program and any decisions should be guided by research and consultation with parents on their perspectives," it said.
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