Campaign given extra $12m to expand reach to broader TV audience

The federal government will launch a national television advertising campaign to counter anti-vaccination misinformation and reinforce the health benefits of the nation’s immunisation program, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

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The federal government will launch a national television advertising campaign to counter anti-vaccination misinformation and reinforce the health benefits of the nation’s immunisation program.

The “Get the facts about immunisation” campaign, which features parents who have lost children to vaccine-preventable diseases sharing their heartbreak, has been running on social media channels since August 2017.

However, Health Minister Greg Hunt will today announce that the government will spend an additional $12 million over the next three years to expand the reach to the broader TV audience.

Health Minister Greg Hunt will reveal the additional spending on spreading the immunisation message. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

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“The current campaign will be expanded into national television advertising to raise awareness of the benefits and importance of immunisation,” Mr Hunt said, adding the purpose was to support parents to “make informed decisions by providing evidence-based information about immunisation”.

A 2018 evaluation of the online campaign, which geographically targeted areas with low vaccination rates, showed two in three parents took action after seeing it.

“The campaign continues to act as a reminder for parents, with the most common action taken to check if their child(ren)’s vaccinations are up to date,” the report said.

Since the introduction of No Jab No Play/Pay initiatives championed by The Sunday and Daily Telegraph and implemented by both state and federal governments, immunisation rates have risen to the highest recorded ever.

“The latest data shows the nationwide immunisation rate for five-year-olds was 94.62 per cent, which is the highest figure on record,” Mr Hunt said.

“This is very close to the 95 per cent herd immunity we aim to achieve”.

An evaluation of the online immunisation campaign showed two in three parents took action after seeing it. Picture: iStock

Tony McCaffery, whose month-old daughter Dana died in 2009, has shared her family’s story as part of the campaign. “Anything we can do to raise awareness of why we need vaccination and how dangerous these diseases are is a good thing,” she said.

“When Dana died the national vaccination rate for five-year-olds was below 85 per cent. It’s now 94.62 per cent,” she said.

Amid measles outbreaks in the US and Europe, the World Health Organisation has declared the anti-vaccination movement a “top threat to human health in 2019”.

The rise in social media influencers with no medical background has allowed even footballer’s wives to opine against vaccines.

“The more people we can reach to counter the misinformation the better, and Australia is now leading the world in terms of being very proactive in raising immunisation rates,” Mrs McCaffery said.

The new National Immunisation Strategy 2019 – 24 is released today. The NIP now offers protection against 17 vaccine-preventable diseases, in addition to shingles and influenza for the elderly.

ELIZA’S FUTURE IS IN MY HANDS

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In the days before her daughter Eliza’s recent vaccination shots, TV star Erin Molan admits she felt sick.

The thought of putting her beautiful eight-month-old through a painful jab filled her with dread.

Channel 9 sports presenter Erin Molan was nervous for her daughter to be jabbed with a needle, but knew it was a small sacrifice for her health. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

But she remained certain that last week’s needle for the meningococcal vaccine was a small sacrifice to make for her child’s health.

“She had a little scream, it lasted ten seconds and then she was back playing,” the Channel 9 presenter said.

“In the scheme of things and what could occur it was absolutely nothing.

“We can walk away knowing that we’ve done everything in out power to protect not only out child but every other child she passes in the street or has contact with.”

Just last week, NRL star Bryce Cartwright’s partner Shanelle Peeti took to social media to promote her anti-vaccination stance. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Rugby league star Bryce Cartwright’s wife Shanelle was in the headlines last week after controversially declaring on social media she would never vaccinate her children.

Her stance is not something Molan could ever contemplate.

“I don’t want to make any specific comments in relation to anyone else and how they raise their children but I don’t understand why any parent out there wouldn’t vaccinate their children,” the 35-year-old said.

“When it comes to diseases that are preventable, you’ve just got to do it.”