Government must fully fund childhood immunisation schedule

Dr Rice said the AMA has previously called on the Health Minister to fund the recommended Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule (ASVS), which was endorsed at the NHMRC meeting on 18 September.

"The most significant omission from the funded schedule is the vaccine which prevents pneumococcal disease in young children," Dr Rice said.

"There are about 3,500 hospital admissions for pneumococcal disease and 400 deaths each year in Australia.

"This disease is significantly more common in children under two years and adults over 65, and within the Indigenous community.

"It is estimated that a national vaccination program to address pneumococcal disease in young children would cost approximately $27.4 million in the first year.

"Meningococcal infection, on the other hand, is not common - but in a small proportion of the affected population, death can occur in less than 12 hours.

"This disease has received much media coverage and the Government's national vaccination program cost $41 million in its first year.

"A vaccine is available for the type-C bacteria only, which in the year 2000 accounted for 143 of the 388 cases of meningococcal disease in Australia, and caused 25 deaths.

"While the AMA would encourage the Government to continue funding the meningococcal vaccine, it would also encourage the Government to do likewise for pneumococcal disease in young children.

"It seems odd that a common disease which causes a clear burden in our community remains unfunded while a rare disease becomes the focus of a multimillion dollar immunisation program.

"The Health Minister, Tony Abbott, must act on the available expert scientific and technical advice.

"The Communicable Disease Network Australia has made invasive pneumococcal disease a notifiable disease, and the NHMRC has recommended that all Australian children be immunised against it.

"While the Government has agreed to fund pneumococcal immunisation for children in high risk groups, not all high risk groups have been included, most notably children in childcare centres.

"At the very least, free pneumococcal immunisation should be available to all children in child care.  Ideally, the vaccine should be funded for all Australian children in an effort to eradicate the disease.

"The current schedule clearly discriminates against lower income families. Parents who want to follow the best scientific advice on immunisation will now have to pay more than $500 from their own pockets to have their children fully immunised.

"Wyeth enjoys a market monopoly on the supply of the vaccine.

"The AMA recognises Wyeth's efforts in funding pneumococcal vaccine research projects in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

"But pricing could be addressed at the supply level, in order to see some movement on funding the pneumococcal vaccine by the Federal Government.

"The AMA acknowledges the Government's outstanding achievement of raising the rate of fully immunised Australian children from just over 50 per cent to nearly 90 per cent since 1996.

"However the community is now confused and does not understand why the Government has failed to implement the recommendation of its expert advisory committee.

"We run the risk that immunisation rates may fall to unacceptably low levels again. We must not allow this to happen," Dr Rice said.

CONTACT:         John Flannery                       (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761

                       Judith Tokley                       (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306