Most immunisation campaigns continue to primarily focus on infants and children, but almost 4 million Australian adults are not vaccinated against preventable diseases.
For some parents, the decision to vaccinate requires more than just objective evidence.
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Whilst most parents do vaccinate, health professionals often find it difficult to talk with those who are hesitant or decline. A new resource provides information and communication support.
One Nation senator Pauline Hanson told Insiders: ‘You can have a test on your child first’ before vaccinating.
AAP/Richard Wainwright
Speaking on the ABC program Insiders, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson suggested there are tests available to see if children will have an adverse reaction to vaccinations. We asked three experts.
Our immune system protects us but when it comes to some mosquito-borne disease, it can work against us. What are the implications for the development of a Zika virus vaccine?
The shingles or zoster vaccine (Zostavax) is made from a live but weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus.
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From November 1, the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine will be available for free to people aged 70 to 79 years. So how and why do you get shingles, and who should be vaccinated?
Minority groups such as migrants are almost always pro-vaccination.
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The Commonwealth government's "no jab, no pay" legislation is disadvantaging migrant children. Many families are having essential payments withheld despite their children being vaccinated.
An Ethiopian boy receives a polio vaccination. Africa has done well with polio eradication but lags behind other vaccination efforts.
Unicef Ethiopia/2013/Sewunet
Every year hundreds of thousands of children die from vaccine-preventable diseases. Africa leaders could change this if they improved vaccination efforts.
Parents are sensitive to what they hear about vaccines.
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Bats can carry some of the deadliest diseases known to affect humans and yet they don't seem to get sick. So what can we learn from a bat's immune system?
As more vaccines have been developed, the challenge of delivering them with minimal pain and number of visits to the doctor has increased. Needle-free vaccinations might help.
A child receives vitamins during a vaccination campaign against polio.
Reuters/Thierry Gouegnon
The immune system does such a good job most of the time that we only really think about it when things go wrong. But to provide such excellent protection, it must constantly learn.
The oral vaccine is the most common polio vaccine used in the world.
S. Sabawoon/EPA/AAP
Recent polio outbreaks in Ukraine and Mali, caused by a vaccine-derived form of poliovirus, don't mean the vaccine isn't working. On the contrary, they are a reminder to keep up vaccination rates.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries that still have endemic levels of polio.
Parwiz/Reuters
Nigeria's strategy to eliminate polio was so effective that it was duplicated to deal with ebola. So why did the country take so long to get off the list of polio-endemic countries?
Senegalese Mamou Tiang, who suffers from polio, begs for money outside a bank on a sidewalk in the capital Dakar.
Nic Bothma/EPA