The nation’s advocacy groups are having their say about the proposed vaccine changes in the US.
Last week US President Donald Trump signed an executive order designed to remove hepatitis vaccinations in children.
Advocacy organisations are having none of it.
The proposed changes would see six vaccinations removed from America’s routine childhood immunisation schedule: RSV, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal ACWY, rotavirus, and influenza.
Hepatitis Australia CEO Lucy Clynes said Australia would not be following suit and would be continuing with the country’s evidence-based vaccination program.
“Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C are leading causes of liver disease and liver cancer, and without appropriate medical care, up to one in four people living with chronic hepatitis B can die from its complications,” she said.
“Vaccination remains Australia’s best defence and the professional medical advice has not changed. Our infectious diseases and immunisation experts continue to strongly support hepatitis B vaccination, including vaccination at birth.
“Parents can be fully confident that the advice they receive in Australia is based on decades of medical evidence showing that the hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective and protects children against a virus that can cause serious lifelong liver disease and liver cancer.”
Ms Clynes said that babies and young children have an increased risk of developing chronic hepatitis B compared to adults, which highlights the importance of vaccination at birth.
“Routine childhood vaccination has helped drive a staggering 60 per cent reduction in hepatitis B cases among young Australians,” she said.
“The birth dose has been part of Australia’s vaccination program for more than 25 years, babies tolerate it very well and Australian parents have overwhelmingly embraced vaccination as a simple and effective way of protecting their children.
“This is a public health success story we should be proud of and continue to build upon.”
Professor Joseph Doyle, the organisation’s president, emphasised that Australians should continue to follow the nation’s immunisation schedule.
“Vaccination has played an enormous role in reducing hepatitis B transmission in Australia and remains absolutely fundamental to our efforts to eventually eliminate hepatitis B as a public health threat,” the infectious diseases physician told media.
“Our advice to parents is that Australia’s recommendations have not changed. Speak to your GP, nurse or other healthcare professional and continue to follow the Australian vaccination schedule.”
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The executive order would also see combination vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine separated into individual vaccines – a move the Immunisation Coalition described as “very concerning and without merit”.
“There is no evidence that combination vaccines are harmful to children, or any individual, and that individualising vaccines as well as spreading these over several appointments, is beneficial is unfounded,” the Coalition’s CEO Dr Andrew Milton (PhD) said in a statement.
Dr Milton iterated that the Australian government and healthcare professionals were not bound by any such orders.
“Our focus is clear – to recommend immunisation based on evidence and practicality and to rebuff non-evidence based recommendations that put children and individuals of all ages at risk of harm from preventable infectious diseases,” he said.
“Separating out vaccines is a step backwards and will only serve to reduce immunisation rates, in a time where confidence is needed to protect more Australians of all ages against infections.
“The public trusts Australian [healthcare professionals] and the recommendations they make to patients and individuals. Science keeps us alive and safe, unsubstantiated opinion, misinformation and untruths only serves to undermine this.”
The Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases was also quick to remind parents that the MMR vaccine is safe, effective, and recommended.
“The science has not changed: MMR vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect children from measles, mumps, and rubella,” the ASID said in a statement.
“Despite recent changes announced overseas, there is no scientific reason to change the way that children in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand receive the MMR vaccination.”
Australian children are recommended to receive the MMR vaccine at 12 and 18 months as part of the National Immunisation Program.
“There is also no evidence that giving the measles, mumps, and rubella components together makes the vaccine less safe. Combination vaccines are preferred because they reduce the number of appointments and injections children need, making it easier for families to complete vaccination on time,” the ASID statement read.
“Most importantly, there is no evidence that separating the MMR vaccine into separate components provides protection against autism or other developmental differences.”
