$15m state funding boost to increase vaccination rates

The NSW government has committed $15 million to improve vaccination rates for target groups like those facing chronic health conditions and those with non-English speaking backgrounds.

NSW communities with low vaccination uptake will be the target of a multimillion-dollar initiative aimed at boosting awareness and access to vaccines.

The NSW government has committed $15 million to improving vaccination rates for target groups that face barriers to vaccination, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, and those with chronic illnesses who may be more susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases.

The target groups have been identified from the Australian Immunisation Register, and NSW Health data, which shows lower vaccination rates for some CALD communities and people living with chronic health conditions, including mental illness.

The investment will fund more NSW Health staff to administer vaccines, training for existing NSW Health clinical services staff, and health promotion, education and community engagement activities.

Vera Chrystal is given a flu vaccine at Our Medical Crows Nest by nurse Anisa Gharti. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

To combat misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, a community grants program will also be established to engage local community leaders and champions to raise awareness of the importance and effectiveness of vaccination, and identify barriers to accessing the jab.

Facebook has proved to be one of the worst sources of information on vaccines, with a proliferation of lies allowed to go unchallenged.

Health Minister Ryan Park said vaccination was the best way to protect people. Picture: Kelly Barnes

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the funding aimed to improve the uptake of a range of vaccines, including those fighting influenza, shingles and pneumococcal.

So far this year, more than 43,000 people in NSW have been diagnosed with influenza, but just 9.3 per cent of kids aged between five and 15 have received their flu jab and only a quarter of people in the 50-65-year age group.

In the meantime, more than 1700 cases of shingles have been reported in NSW this year.

“Vaccination is safe and effective. It is the best way to protect ourselves and the broader community from serious illness and hospitalisation,” Mr Park said.

“Funding to increase vaccination access and uptake across the state will support better health and wellbeing outcomes for some of our priority population groups, including high risk and hard to reach cohorts.

“The government is committed to improving vaccination rates and equity in knowledge, access, and uptake across the state to maximise the benefits of vaccination for everyone.”

The announcement comes after The Sunday Telegraph launched the Get Back To The Vax campaign, amid falling childhood immunisation rates.

Vaccine uptake in children has fallen below 2018 levels in NSW, with 93.98 per cent of children in the five-year-age group up-to-date with the immunisations – well below the 95 per cent target needed to achieve herd immunity.

The worst vaccination rate for all of NSW is in the Richmond Valley coastal area – which encompasses the towns of Brunswick Heads, Byron, Bangalow, Ballina, Woodburn, Evans Head – where just 74.72 per cent of children in the two-year-old cohort have been fully immunised.

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