Influenza vaccination uptake in Australia in 2020: impact of the COVID-19 pandemic?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2021.45.10Keywords:
Influenza Vaccination uptake, Australian Immunisation RergisterAbstract
Annual influenza vaccination is strongly recommended and funded on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for all children aged 6 months to < 5 years, all adults aged ≥ 65 years, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged ≥ 6 months, pregnant women and anyone aged ≥ 6 months with specified medical conditions.1 We previously reported an eightfold increase in influenza vaccine uptake in children aged 6 months to < 5 years, from 5.0% in 2017 to 39.7% in 2019,2 following introduction of funded programs. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to review influenza vaccine uptake in young children in 2020, the first year of NIP-funding in this age group, along with other groups – older adults (≥ 65 years of age) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages – for whom reporting to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is likely most complete.
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References
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