Overview of the Immunise Australia Program Case Study #
The Immunise Australia Program is a national public health program that provides free vaccines to eligible Australians. This case study looks at how it increased levels of childhood immunization and protected children from preventable disease.
Abstract #
In 1995, an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey found that only 33% of children under six were fully immunized according to the schedule being recommended at the time.
This intervention increased the levels of childhood immunization as part of the Immunise Australia Program. It illustrates the critical role of formative research in developing strategies and designing / refining communication materials.
Key barriers to full immunization were as follows.
Practical barriers appeared to affect mainly mothers with lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those with more than two children. These bariers included the following.
- Difficulty in remembering whether the children had been immunized or not
- Difficulty in attending venues for immunization at the appropriate times
- Lack of belief in the importance of the precise timing and number of vaccinations
- Lack of awareness of the exact details of immunization schedules.
Medical factors included:
- Postponing vaccinations because of a perception that their children were too sick to be immunized.
- A lack of belief in the seriousness of particular diseases.
The progam comprised a number of initiatives, including the following.
- Improvements to immunization practice and service delivery;
- Establishment of a National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance;
- Negotiation with State and Territory Governments to introduce requirements for immunization prior to commencing school;
- Financial incentives for doctors and parents/guardians;
- A national childhood immunization education campaign; and
- A specific Measles Control Campaign.
Access the Immunise Australia Program Case Study #
This article was first published in Social Marketing Quarterly in March, 2002: (8:1) pages 55-61. It is available for a fee through SAGE at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15245000212542. The title of the journal case study is “Public Health Social Marketing: The Immunise Australia Program.”
Location #
Australia, Oceania
Keywords #
Immunisation, Immunization, Immunize Australia
