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Objective: Vaccinations in Australia are reportable to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Following major immunisation policy initiatives, the New South Wales (NSW) Public Health Network undertook an audit to estimate true immunisation coverage of NSW children at one year of age, and explore reasons associated with under‐reporting. Methods: Cross‐sectional survey examining AIR immunisation records of a stratified random sample of 491 NSW children aged 12≤15 months at 30 September 2017 who were >30 days overdue for immunisation. Survey data were analysed using population weights. Results: Estimated true coverage of fully vaccinated one‐year‐old children in NSW is 96.2% (CI:95.9‐96.4), 2.1% higher than AIR reported coverage of 94.1%. Of the children reported as overdue on AIR, 34.9% (CI:30.9‐38.9) were actually fully vaccinated. No significant association was found between under‐reporting and socioeconomic status, rurality or reported local coverage level. Data errors in AIR uploading (at provider level) and duplicate records contributed to incorrect AIR coverage recording. Conclusions: Despite incentives to record childhood vaccinations on AIR, under‐reporting continues to be an important contributor to underestimation of true coverage in NSW. Implications for public health: More reliable transmission of encounters to AIR at provider level and removal of duplicates would improve accuracy of reported coverage.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) updated recommendations on the use of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in the Australian Immunisation Handbook in 2018, regarding the use of the recently available 9-valent (9vHPV) vaccine, Gardasil 9, and a 2-dose schedule for young adolescents for HPV vaccines. This report provides an overview of the relevant scientific evidence that underpinned these updated recommendations. The 9vHPV vaccine includes 5 HPV types (HPV 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) additional to the 4 that are also covered by the 4vHPV (Gardasil) vaccine (HPV 6,11,16,18). Accordingly, the 9vHPV vaccine is expected to prevent an additional 15% of cervical cancers and up to 20% of other HPV-related cancers. Non-inferior antibody responses after two 9vHPV vaccine doses given 6–12 months apart in girls and boys aged 9–14 years compared to women aged 16–26 years after three doses support the 2-dose schedule for adolescents of this age group. In clinical trials 9vHPV vaccine was well-tolerated with a similar safety profile to 4vHPV vaccine. The switch to 9vHPV vaccine and a 2-dose schedule is anticipated to improve public acceptability of the program and reduce HPV-related disease in the long-term.

Background An online education programme was developed to support midwives and maternity staff to implement the New South Wales antenatal pertussis vaccination programme from March 2015. Aims To determine if an educational programme met the needs of midwives and maternity staff to conduct an immunisation appointment confidently with a pregnant woman. Methods Pre- and post-surveys were conducted with learners completing the programme. Findings Before completing the programme, 57% of respondents reported feeling ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ in conducting a vaccination encounter with a pregnant woman. This increased to 94.1% after completion of the programme. Conclusion The education programme met the needs of midwives and maternity staff in New South Wales. An informed and confident maternity workforce will increase vaccine uptake in pregnant women and ensure that pertussis vaccination is incorporated consistently into routine antenatal care, to protect vulnerable infants from life-threatening diseases such as pertussis and influenza.

Introduction: In response to a significant increase of measles cases and a high percentage of unvaccinated adolescents in New South Wales, Australia, a measles high school catch-up vaccination programme was implemented between August and December 2014. This study aimed to explore the factors affecting school-based supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) and to inform future SIA and routine school-based vaccination programme implementation and service provision. Methods: Focus group analysis was conducted among public health unit (PHU) staff responsible for implementing the SIA catch-up programme. Key areas discussed were pre-programme planning, implementation, resources, consent materials, media activity and future directions for school vaccination programme delivery. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and reviewed. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify the major themes. Results: Two independent focus groups with 32 participants were conducted in January 2015. Barriers to the SIA implementation included lead time, consent processes, interagency collaboration, access to the targeted cohort and the impact of introducing a SIA to an already demanding curriculum and school programme immunization schedule. A positive PHU school coordinator rapport and experience of PHU staff facilitated the implementation. Consideration of different approaches for pre-clinic vaccination status checks, student involvement in the vaccination decision, online consent, workforce sharing between health districts and effective programme planning time were identified for improving future SIA implementation. Conclusion: Although many barriers to school programme implementation have been identified in this study, with adequate resourcing and lead time, SIAs implemented via a routine school vaccination programme are an appropriate model to target adolescents.

Objectives To assess vaccination coverage and timeliness among Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in New South Wales and the rest of Australia, with a particular focus on changes in the vaccination coverage gaps after the introduction of the Aboriginal Immunisation Healthcare Worker (AIHCW) Program in NSW in 2012. Design Cross-sectional analysis of Australian Immunisation Register data (2008-2016). Main outcome measures Annual estimates of full vaccination coverage at 9, 15 and 51 months of age for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in NSW and the rest of Australia; differences in coverage between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children at each milestone. Results The proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children classified as fully vaccinated at 9, 15, and 51 months increased significantly in both NSW and the rest of Australia after the introduction of the AIHCW Program. The mean annual difference in full vaccination coverage between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in NSW aged 9 months declined from 6.6 (95% CI, 5.2-8.0) during 2008-2011 to 3.7 percentage points (95% CI, 2.5-4.8) during 2012-2016; for those aged 15 months it declined from 4.6 (95% CI, 3.1-6.0) to 2.2 percentage points (95% CI, 1.0-3.4), and for those aged 51 months it declined from 8.5 (95% CI, 7.2-9.8) to 0.6 percentage points (95% CI, -0.6 to 1.8). Reductions in the differences in coverage were not as marked in the rest of Australia. In 2016, there was no statistically significant difference in coverage at any of the three milestones in NSW: at 9 months the difference was 1.6 percentage points (95% CI, -1.0 to 4.1); at 15 months, 0.4 percentage points (95% CI, -2.2 to 2.9); and at 51 months, -1.8 percentage points (95% CI, -4.4 to 0.8). Conclusion Our findings suggest that a dedicated program can help overcome barriers to timely vaccination and significantly improve timely vaccination rates in Indigenous Australian children.

Background: In 2014, a high school–based measles supplementary immunisation activity (SIA) took place in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in response to a large number of adolescents being identified as undervaccinated or unvaccinated against measles. The program focused on areas of NSW where previous measles outbreaks had occurred and where large numbers of undervaccinated adolescents lived. More than 11 000 students were vaccinated in 2014, and the program continued in 2015, when more than 4000 students in Years 11 and 12 were vaccinated. Parents of students vaccinated during the program were surveyed to determine their level of satisfaction with the program. Methods: An online link to the anonymous survey with instructions was sent in a text message between August 2015 and May 2016 to parents of students who had consented or been vaccinated during the 2014 and 2015 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs). Results: Responses were received from parents in all Local Health Districts (LHDs), and response rates ranged from

Background: In 2007, Australia implemented the National human papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program, which provides quadrivalent HPV vaccine free to all women aged 12–26 years. Following notification of 7 presumptive cases of anaphylaxis in the state of New South Wales, Australia, we verified cases and compared the incidence of anaphylaxis following HPV vaccination to other vaccines in comparable settings. Methods: We contacted all patients with suspected anaphylaxis and obtained detailed histories from telephone interviews and a review of medical records. A multidisciplinary team determined whether each suspected case met the standardized Brighton definition. Some participants also received skin-prick allergy testing for common antigens and components of the HPV vaccine. Results: Of 12 suspected cases, 8 were classified as anaphylaxis. Of these, 4 participants had negative skin-prick test results for intradermal Gardasil. From the 269 680 HPV vaccine doses administered in schools, 7 cases of anaphylaxis were identified, which represents an incidence rate of 2.6 per 100 000 doses (95% CI 1.0–5.3 per 100 000). In comparison, the rate of identified anaphylaxis was 0.1 per 100 000 doses (95% CI 0.003–0.7) for conjugated meningococcal C vaccination in a 2003 school-based program. Interpretation: Based on the number of confirmed cases, the estimated rate of anaphylaxis following quadrivalent HPV vaccine was significantly higher than identified in comparable school-based delivery of other vaccines. However, overall rates were very low and managed appropriately with no serious sequelae.

This annual report, the second in the series, documents trends in immunisation coverage in NSW for children, adolescents and the elderly, to the end of 2010. Methods: Data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, the NSW School Immunisation Program and the NSW Population Health Survey were used to calculate various measures of population coverage, coverage for Aboriginal children and vaccination timeliness for all children. Results: Over 90% coverage has been reached for children at 12 and 24 months of age. For children at 5 years of age there was an improvement during 2010 in timeliness for vaccines due at 4 years and coverage almost reached 90%. Delayed receipt of vaccines is still an issue for Aboriginal children. For adolescents, there is good coverage for the first and second doses of human papillomavirus vaccine and the dose of diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis. The pneumococcal vaccination rate in the elderly has been steadily rising, although it has remained lower than the influenza coverage estimates. Conclusion: Completion of the recommended immunisation schedule at the earliest appropriate age should be the next public health goal at both the state and local health district level. Official coverage assessments for ‘fully immunised’ should include the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate and meningococcal C vaccines, and wider dissemination should be considered.

Objectives: As international estimates of the effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis of measles vary, we sought to determine the effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis with either vaccine or immunoglobulin in susceptible persons with known measles contact. Methods: Data were obtained on all cases of measles notified in NSW between 1 March and 31 May 2006 and their contacts. The effectiveness of prophylaxis was calculated using the cohort method. Results: During March to May 2006, 57 cases of measles were notified and 1760 measles contacts were identified, of which 553 were classified as susceptible. The calculated effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis with vaccine or immunoglobulin in preventing measles was 83.3% (95% CI: 27–96%). Conclusion: Post-exposure immunisation remains an effective tool for preventing secondary cases of measles.

Objective: To assess whether changes in vaccination policy have affected the epidemiology of pertussis in NSW between 1993 and 2005. Methods: Surveillance data from the NSW Notifiable Diseases Database was reviewed for the period. Results: 35 695 cases of pertussis were notified; annual incidence rates varied from 18.4 to 84.2 per 100 000 people. The highest rates of pertussis were consistently found in infants aged 0–6 months. Rates of disease in other age groups changed markedly over the study period, with high rates currently observed in adult age groups. Conclusions: New strategies may be needed to control pertussis in infants and in adults who now comprise the largest proportion of cases.

Objective: To describe the current screening and immunization practices in New South Wales (NSW) hospitals and the experience of NSW nurses in relation to screening and immunization and to identify areas that can be targeted for improvement. Design: This was a cross-sectional survey. Setting: The study was performed in NSW, Australia. Methods: We used a written questionnaire to survey the infection control/occupational health coordinators of all of the 85 private hospitals and 204 eligible public hospitals in NSW and 800 randomly sampled registered nurses. Results: Response rates were high (hospitals [90%], nurses [70%]). Hospitals almost universally offered hepatitis B vaccination to nurses (251/261, 96%), but more than one quarter (132/473, 28%) of nurses reported incomplete vaccination. Provision to physicians was relatively poor (142/261, 54%). The majority of nurses (> 80%) had been vaccinated with bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine, but hospitals reported variable tuberculosis screening practices. Both hospitals and nurses reported low rates (< 30%) of screening and vaccination provision for varicella and measles-mumps-rubella. Two thirds of NSW hospitals (174/261, 67%) provided annual influenza vaccination. Conclusions: Even though hepatitis B immunization programs were widespread, their effectiveness could be improved by ensuring that vaccination schedules are completed and by targeting physicians. Varicella and measles-mumps-rubella screening and immunization programs are currently lacking. Better strategies are needed to improve the implementation of health care worker protection guidelines in hospitals. (Am J Infect Control 2003;31:144-50.)

This article reviews the current literature regarding HBV epidemiology, locally and internationally, and outlines current vaccination policies and immunisation procedures. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide, and about 350 million of them are chronic carriers.

This annual report, the third in the series, documents trends in immunisation coverage in NSW for children, adolescents and the elderly, to the end of 2011. Methods: Data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, the NSW School Immunisation Program and the NSW Population Health Survey were used to calculate various measures of population coverage. Results: During 2011, greater than 90% coverage was maintained for children at 12 and 24 months of age. For children at 5 years of age the improvement seen in 2010 was sustained, with coverage at or near 90%. For adolescents, there was improved coverage for all doses of human papillomavirus vaccine, both doses of hepatitis B vaccine, varicella vaccine and the dose of diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis given to school attendees in Years 7 and 10. Pneumococcal vaccination coverage in the elderly has been steadily rising, although it has remained lower than the influenza coverage estimates. Conclusion: This report provides trends in immunisation coverage in NSW across the age spectrum. The inclusion of coverage estimates for the pneumococcal conjugate, varicella and meningococcal C vaccines in the official coverage assessments for ‘fully immunised’ in 2013 is a welcome initiative.

Aim: This report summarises Australian passive surveillance data for adverse events following immunisation in NSW for 2010. Methods: Analysis of de-identified information on all adverse events following immunisation reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Results: 424 adverse events following immunisation were reported for vaccines administered in 2010; this is 6% lower than 2009 but 24% higher than 2008 and the second highest number since 2003. A total of 274 (65%) adverse events involved seasonal or pandemic influenza vaccines. Reports were predominantly of mild transient events: the most commonly reported reactions were fever, allergic reaction, injection site reaction, malaise and headache. Only 9% of the reported adverse events were serious in nature, including eight reports of febrile convulsions in children following seasonal influenza vaccine. Conclusion: The large number of reports in 2010 is attributable to the high rates of fever and febrile convulsions in children after vaccination with 2010 seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine, as well as pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza vaccine.

Aims: This is the first in a series of annual immunisation coverage reports that document trends in NSW for a range of standard measures derived from Australian Childhood Immunisation Register data, including overall coverage at standard age milestones and for individual vaccines. This report includes data up to and including 2009. Methods: Data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, the NSW Health Survey and the NSW School Immunisation Program were used to calculate various measures of population coverage relating to childhood vaccines, adult influenza and pneumococcal vaccines and adolescent vaccination, respectively. Results: Immunise Australia Program targets have been reached for children at 12 and 24 months of age but not for children at 5 years of age. Delayed receipt of vaccines is an issue for vaccines recommended for Aboriginal children. Pneumococcal vaccination in the elderly has been steadily rising, although it has remained lower than the influenza coverage estimates. For adolescents, there is better coverage for the first and second doses of human papillomavirus vaccine and the dose of dTpa than for varicella. Conclusion: This comprehensive analysis provides important baseline data for NSW against which future reports can be compared to monitor progress in improving immunisation coverage. Immunisation at the earliest appropriate age should be a public health goal for countries such as Australia where high levels of vaccine coverage at milestone ages have been achieved.

Over the past decade the number of recommended and funded vaccines for adolescents has increased, becoming a substantial part of the National Immunisation Program in Australia. In response, NSW has implemented disease-specific vaccination campaigns for both children and adolescents and more recently established a routine high school-based vaccination program to administer vaccines to this often hard to reach group. This paper outlines the history of school-based vaccination in NSW from its commencement in 1971 to coverage from early disease-specific programs, and describes the implementation of the current program of routine vaccination. Substantial coverage has been achieved across the age spectrum 5-17 years, highlighting the effectiveness of the school-based vaccination program in reaching large numbers of adolescents.

The roll-out of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza vaccine in NSW was significantly different to that envisaged for a pandemic vaccination program. Pre-pandemic planning had focused on the urgent roll-out of a vaccine through mass vaccination clinics in a time of high demand due to a virulent influenza virus. Instead the situation was less urgent, with the vaccine available only after the peak of incidence of infections in NSW. Consequently mass vaccination clinics were considered to be a less appropriate method of delivering the vaccine than a primary care focused delivery model. This paper describes the program, some of the controversies considered during its roll-out and factors to be considered in planning for future pandemics.

Aim: This is the first annual report for NSW of adverse events following immunisation. It summarises Australian passive surveillance data for adverse events following immunisation for NSW for 2009. Methods: Analysis of de-identified information on all adverse events following immunisation reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Results: 450 adverse events following immunisation were reported for vaccines administered in 2009; this is 32% higher than 2008 and the highest since 2003. The increase was almost entirely attributed to the commencement of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza vaccine in September 2009. Only 6% of the reported adverse events were serious in nature and the most commonly reported reactions were allergic reaction, injection site reaction, fever and headache. Conclusion: Reports of adverse events following immunisation in 2009 were dominated by the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza vaccine. A large proportion of these adverse events were reported directly to the Therapeutic Goods Administration by members of the public. Reports were predominantly mild transient events, similar to those expected from the seasonal flu vaccine.

Varicella zoster is a herpes virus that causes chickenpox (also known as varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster). This Bug Breakfast discussed the background to the addition of the varicella vaccine to the National Immunisation Program on 1 November 2005, and outlined the process of introducing a new vaccine to the schedule in NSW.

Surveillance of adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) is an integral component of any immunisation program; it is as important as surveillance of both immunisation coverage and vaccine preventable diseases. In this article we describe the purpose of AEFI surveillance and the methods used to monitor AEFIs in Australia and NSW. We also summarise NSW AEFI surveillance reports received between January 2000 and November 2002.

ZZoonoses are diseases in humans that are acquired from an animal source. Although there are more than 60 recognised zoonoses in Australia, brucellosis, leptospirosis and Q fever present the greatest potential for epidemics and pose the greatest occupational risk. These diseases are notifiable in New South Wales. Q fever is the most frequently-notified zoonotic infection in Australia, and about 500 cases are reported nationally every year.