On-time vaccination is important to protect individuals as early as possible from serious diseases like measles, whooping cough and meningococcal B. Historically, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia have been vaccinated at lower rates and experienced higher rates of disease than non-Aboriginal children. Data on vaccination rates in NSW are available in HealthStats NSW while information about vaccination and disease rates for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children are included in the Vaccination for Our Mob report.
NSW Health's Aboriginal Immunisation Health Worker Program and other initiatives have helped to improve vaccination rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and vaccination rates are now higher than for non-Aboriginal children at 1 and 5 years of age. More information is available in the Aboriginal Immunisation Health Worker Program brochure and in the Medical Journal of Australia. Call your public health unit on 1300 066 055 to speak to your local Aboriginal Immunisation Health Care Worker.
