Experts gather for Aboriginal Immunisation Workshop

Experts in Aboriginal infectious disease research are in Perth this week for the National Indigenous Immunisation Research Workshop (November 7-8).

The Workshop is hosted by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in partnership with the Centre for Research Excellence in Population Health Research: Immunisation in under studied and special risk populations, and the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases.

Amongst the presenters is Dr Rob Menzies, Deputy Director of Surveillance at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases.

Dr Menzies said Hepatitis A disease is now less common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children than in their non-Indigenous counterparts.

"Hepatitis A used to infect nearly all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in some communities, causing hospitalisations and some deaths," Dr Menzies said.  "Vaccination was introduced in 2005 in the high incidence jurisdictions of the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia and from 2007 to 2010 there were no hospitalisations and only 1 case reported in an Indigenous child."

Dr Menzies said polio has been eradicated from Australia and many other vaccine preventable diseases are rare, such as measles, mumps, rubella, Hib, diphtheria and tetanus.  However, there is still some work to do in other areas.

"Vaccine preventable diseases often more seriously affect Indigenous people because of poorer living conditions and less robust underlying health," he said.  "Many Indigenous people have chronic health conditions that exacerbate seasonal and pandemic influenza, causing a greater disease burden than in other Australians."

Dr Menzies said it is unclear whether or not there has been a decline in influenza hospitalisations since the start of the National Indigenous Pneumococcal and Influenza Immunisation Program in 1999, but rates are still higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"The vaccine is now free for all Indigenous Australians aged 15 years or younger and achieving high coverage should now be a priority," Dr Menzies said.

"Rotavirus is less common, but epidemics still occur in central Australia.  We need better data on vaccination coverage in Indigenous adolescents and adults so we can identify low coverage areas and target them."

The Workshop is looking at a range of areas related to immunisation research including ear disease, gastroenteritis and influenza.

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