OzVaxStats

Number of Notifications for Vaccine Preventable Diseases (Australia)
(up to 31 July 2010)

Disease YTD 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 1994
Diphtheria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Haemophilus influenzae type b 11 20 25 17 22 17 164
Influenza (laboratory confirmed)# 1533 47730 9127 10445 3251 4562 -
Measles 32 104 65 12 125 10 4787
Mumps 43 163 286 586 275 240 5
Pertussis 12736 29588 14510 5344 10995 11200 5439
Pneumococcal disease (invasive) 844 1563 1629 1483 1463 1706 -
Poliomyelitis 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Rubella 31 25 37 34 59 31 3477
Rubella Congenital 0 0 0 2 0 1 4
Tetanus 1 3 4 3 3 2 13
Varicella zoster (Chickenpox)+ 725 1429 1789 1667 1558 n/a 27
Varicella zoster (Shingles)+ 1656 2750 2307 1561 1092 n/a -
Varicella zoster (Unspecified)+ 4010 6791 4427 4286 3677 n/a -
Totals 21622 90166 34206 25441 22520

(source: National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, Department of Health and Ageing)

Incidence of pertussis (whooping cough) from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

2010 ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA AUST TOTAL
Jan 15 578 21 578 546 36 362 54 2190 2190
Feb 23 380 19 521 351 15 361 51 1721 3911
Mar 16 344 11 400 267 10 260 29 1337 5248
Apr 9 204 7 256 255 15 182 24 952 6323
May 24 272 26 436 349 20 398 54 1579 8449
June 27 259 25 581 392 10 390 57 1741 10425
July 30 338 26 688 431 12 418 112 2055 12736

 

2009 ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA AUST TOTAL
Jan 27 1876 37 428 236 45 244 64 2957 2957
Feb 43 1608 22 378 232 34 244 54 2615 5572
Mar 49 1887 21 429 261 57 261 70 3035 8607
Apr 17 1326 24 467 335 48 218 61 2496 11103
May 20 1250 21 621 388 82 313 75 2770 13873
Jun 22 834 19 541 393 103 305 71 2288 16161
Jul 28 606 25 552 438 62 295 65 2071 18232
Aug 49 644 11 513 522 39 381 53 2212 20444
Sep 21 595 9 558 545 46 353 60 2187 22631
Oct 35 621 9 583 576 34 360 72 2290 24921
Nov 22 630 4 590 740 45 349 74 2454 27375
Dec 19 570 12 543 602 21 387 59 2213 29588

Source: http://www9.health.gov.au/cda/Source/CDA-index.cfm

DEATHS from diseases commonly vaccinated against Australia 1926 to 2004

Period Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus Polio Measles Population estimate
1926-1935 4073 2808 879 430 1102 6 600 000
1936-1945 2791 1693 655 618 822 7 200 000
1946-1955 624 429 625 1013 495 8 600 000
1956-1965 44 58 280 123 210 11 000 000
1966-1975 11 22 82 2 146 13 750 000
1976-1985 2 14 31 2 62 14 900 000
1986-1995 2 9 21 0 32 17 300 000
1996-2004 0 17 6 0 0 19 200 000

Source: Vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination coverage in Australia, 1999 to 2000 (NCIRS) & Department of Health and Ageing 2007

Reduction in Mortality with Vaccination for Common Preventable Diseases in Australia

Disease Year of onset of
public vaccination		 Reduction in
mortality rate (%)
Diptheria 1932 100
Pertussis 1942 99
Tetanus 1953 99
Polio 1956 100
Measles 1970 91

Source: Commonwealth year books.

ABC news story, 30 June 2009.

Vaccinations urged as whooping cough spreads

By Bronwyn Herbert for AM

The highly contagious and potentially fatal whooping cough has reached epidemic proportions in parts of Australia.

There have already been more than 14,000 cases of the disease this year, the most ever recorded.

Infectious disease specialists are now calling for a nationwide adult vaccination program to stop the spread of the disease, technically called ‘pertussis’.

Vicki Shepherd from the Sydney West Area Health Service says the disease has spread from the suburbs and into regional areas.

“What we’ve noticed is that it’s started to move into an area that wasn’t really affected before, which is Lithgow,” she said.

“For a very small population we’ve already had over 100 cases in that area this year.”

Queensland doctor Neil Hearnden represents the Royal Australian College of GPs on the national immunisation committee.

He says whooping cough has been particularly prolific in New South Wales.

“They’ve had 8,000 cases so far this year compared to 7,000 in total last year, so they’re looking desperate in trying to control their strategy,” he said.

“They’ve also had an infant death which is really, really sad, and we should not have deaths from whooping cough in this day and age.”

But he says the vaccine does not last a lifetime.

“Many people believe that because they had a whooping cough vaccine when they were a toddler, that they should be protected and that’s totally untrue,” he said.

“Most vaccinations will last only about 10 years.”

Vaccines ‘vital’
The rise in infections has led NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory to offer free vaccines for adults who care for young children.

But Dr Hearnden says Queensland is not offering the same service, despite a 400 per cent rise in infections in the state.

“There is no commitment by the Federal Government or the Queensland Government to actually fund a vaccine and get it out there,” he said.

“I think particularly for the socially disadvantaged groups, I think that’s hugely important, particularly when you’ve got young parents and they’re trying to fund their priorities.

The last thing on their minds is to go and buy a vaccine for themselves.”

Professor Robert Booy from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance agrees adult vaccination is vital.

“In order to protect the very smallest of babies who are most at risk of dying – that’s the ones under two months old – we must produce a cocoon-like effect,” he said.

“The way we can do that is to get parents immunised and also grandparents. That can have an amazing effect in protecting those most vulnerable.”

Professor Booy says whooping cough rates will eventually drop, but he says Australia is not yet out of the danger period.

“Pertussis really peaks about every three years and it’s really quite important to be aware that this problem isn’t over yet,” he said.

“If people can go out and get immunised, it will make a real difference.”

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/30/2611977.htm?section=justin