6 ways vaccines have changed Australia's health
It's mainly good news, but the burden of whooping cough and shingles has risen in a decade
31st October 2019
Ill health caused by vaccine-preventable diseases has fallen by one-third in a decade thanks to the National Immunisation Program (NIP), a report shows.
Adding new vaccines to the schedule saw illness in children plummet, while the impact of long-term widespread vaccination also reduced the burden of disease from illnesses like diptheria.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report focused on 17 diseases with vaccines in the NIP schedule in 2018, including chickenpox, diphtheria, human papillomavirus (HPV) and influenza.
But