Northern beaches electorate has one of lowest vaccination rates in Australia
A MUM whose baby died from whooping cough at one month has joined health experts to launch a social media campaign over fears ‘disease outbreaks’ could occur on the northern beaches unless vaccination rates improve.
Manly
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A SOCIAL media campaign has been launched encouraging northern beaches parents to vaccinate their children, amid fears there will be a tragedy if rates do not improve.
Toni McCaffery — whose baby Dana died from whooping cough at one month — has joined a push by northern beaches doctors and politicians to improve vaccination rates.
Federal MP for Mackellar Jason Falinski said his electorate had the second-lowest vaccination rate in the country and he had particular concerns about the low number being vaccinated in Pittwater.
He said that, as a parent, he was “deeply concerned”.
“Immunisation rates in Australia are high, with over 93 per cent of five-year-old children fully vaccinated. But in Mackellar the story is different,” Mr Falinski said.
“Only 89.38 per cent of our one-year-olds are fully immunised in Pittwater.
“For two-year-olds it’s even worse. The immunisation rate is at 81.94 per cent, which makes us the second-worst electorate in the country.
“While these statistics might seem unimportant, a high immunisation rate is critical for every single parent on the northern beaches.
“When a critical mass stops it affects everyone else, especially those children who can’t be vaccinated, like newborns and those with medical reasons.”
The latest research, carried out between April and June this year, found 91.9 per cent of one-year-olds were vaccinated in the former Manly electorate but only 87.07 per cent of two-year-olds and in Warringah 93.86 per cent of one-year-olds were vaccinated, compared with 87.47 per cent of two-year-olds.
North coast mother Toni McCaffery gave birth to her third child, Dana, in 2009 and was “blissfully unaware of the danger” that awaited her.
Little Dana died of whooping cough at one month of age. She was too young to be vaccinated.
“When Dana was born we did not get a warning sticker or verbal warning that whooping cough was about, despite the fact that our area had the highest infection rates in NSW due to having the lowest immunisation rates,” Mrs McCaffery said.
“We want to give parents the warning we never got and the chance to protect their precious bundles.”
She said if all children had their vaccinations and boosters it helped protect the most vulnerable in the community, including babies until they were old enough to be vaccinated, children who could not be vaccinated for medical reasons, those immunocompromised or undergoing cancer treatment and the elderly.
Mrs McCaffery talks about the loss of her daughter in a video being shared on social media, as part of a government Get The Facts About Immunisation campaign.
The $5.5 million campaign will reach parents through childcare services such as daycare centres and via social media.
Mr Falinski said he was also running his own social media campaign targeting Mackellar parents, alongside the Department of Health’s efforts.
“I shared my concerns with the Health Minister, Greg Hunt, who told me heartbreaking stories of parents losing their young children to these horrible and preventable diseases,” he said.
“One of the videos I will be promoting is of the McCaffery family, who were willing to share their heartbreaking story for this campaign.”
Vaccination update
Immunologist Ian Frazer, who is also part of the campaign, warned there would be disease outbreaks, particularly in areas of low immunisation coverage.
“Vaccines work to protect children against being infected by these diseases,” Professor Frazer said.
“A parent will never know when their child may come into contact with someone who has got one of these infections, so the best way to protect children from these diseases, is to make sure they’re fully immunised.”
Fore more details on the campaign go to: immunisationfacts.gov.au.
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