Australia, along with many of our nearest neighbours, like Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, experienced declining trust in kid vaccines during the epidemic. In these countries, people also saw a decline in the value of routine immunizations.
The State of the World’s Children, UNICEF’s premier worldwide report, warns that failing to vaccinate children against disease can have significant repercussions, including death or permanent impairment.
Although Australia’s immunization rates are almost at the 95% mark, according to Alice Hall, Director of International Programs for UNICEF Australia, recent measles outbreaks are a stark reminder that no nation is immune to all diseases. The disease can exist in areas where there are pockets of unvaccinated children.
“There are tens of millions of children in the world who missed receiving their regular vaccinations during the pandemic, but with governments’ commitment, we can strengthen health systems and ensure we reach children everywhere – even in the hardest-to-reach places,” said Ms Hall. This will help stop the spread of diseases that can be prevented.
Since the pandemic broke out, there has been a decline in trust in kid immunizations in Australia and our neighbouring nations, which is cause for concern. We are aware that illnesses have no boundaries, and immunizations save lives.
Global measles outbreaks increased by almost double in 2022. Polio incidences in the UK, USA, and Israel illustrated how decades of progress toward eliminating avoidable diseases could be jeopardized if we don’t vaccinate every child.
The pandemic disrupted childhood immunization practically everywhere, mainly due to high demands on health services, the divergence of resources from vaccination to the COVID-19 vaccine, a shortage of health workers, and stay-at-home precautions.
Children born just before or during the pandemic are already past the age at which they should have had their vaccinations, highlighting the urgency with which it is necessary to catch up with those who were missed and stop devastating disease outbreaks.
As part of its contribution to the security of our regional health, Australia should continue to commit to stepping up routine immunization initiatives. Due to the epidemic, countries like Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea observed notable drops in the coverage of routine immunizations, and trust levels are declining in many nations.
UNICEF knows how challenging it may be to reach children in conflict zones, isolated areas, and emergencies for routine immunizations. UNICEF is the world’s largest vaccine purchaser, getting nearly half of all children.
If children aren’t protected from disease, UNICEF worries that the rise in climate-related emergencies, combined with crises like the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and the floods in Pakistan, could expose more communities to diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and cholera that are spread through contact and are preventable.
Governments must work together to broaden vaccine access and confidence to achieve long-term objectives. To ensure that every child receives a vaccine, both in Australia and around the world, we must continue to increase public confidence in vaccines and make the most of a variety of innovative concepts and technology.
