UNSW Embryology

Normal Development- Immunization

© Dr Mark Hill (2008)

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Different countries have quite a variety of schedules and recommendations for childhood immunization.

In Australia, there is a national Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule (ASVS) recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

multiple injections (children 12 months of age and older)

There have been a considerable variety of vaccines (oral and injectable) which combine together various antigens, therefore ASVS is based on antigens rather than on specific vaccines. (More? see Australian Immunisation Handbook link)

Recent Findings

Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule (2003)

Age	Appropriate Vaccines
Birth	Hepatitis B (since 2000)
2 months	Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Hepatitis B Haemophilis influenzae type b (Hib) Poliomyelitis (Polio) Pneumococcal
4 months	Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis Hepatitis B Hib Poliomyelitis Pneumococcal
6 months	Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis Hib Poliomyelitis Hepatitis B – or at 12 months Pneumococcal
12 months	Measles, Mumps, Rubella (German Measles) Hib Hepatitis B – or at 6 months Meningococcal C
18 months	Chicken Pox (Varicella)
4 years	Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis Measles, Mumps, Rubella Poliomyelitis

In 2003, varicella (chicken pox) was to be added to this schedule.

See also changes to the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Hepatitis A disease chapters approved by NHMRC on 23 February 2006 from link below.

Changes to the Australian Immunisation Handbook 8th Edition (approved on 9 December 2004)

Pertussis Immunization

First Combination Vaccine Approved to Help Protect Adolescents Against Whooping Cough USA Food and Drug Administration has approved booster immunization against pertussis (whooping cough) in combination with tetanus and diphtheria for adolescents. Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease. (FDA 03 May 2005)

Meningococcal C Immunization

From 2003 in Australian, all children turning 12 months of age will be eligible to receive free meningococcal C vaccine.

This National Meningococcal C Vaccination Program will provide free meningococcal C vaccine for all one to 19 year olds, over the next four years. This will be the largest vaccination program ever seen in Australia.

Hepatitus B Immunization

Australia approves additional funding for new Infant Program- March 2000

The Minister for Health and Aged Care, Dr Michael Wooldridge, announced approval of additional funding for vaccines to protect infants from Hepatitis B.

"The National Health and Medical Research Council has recommended that universal infant hepatitis B vaccination become a part of the Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule," Dr Wooldridge said.
"This breakthrough, which means better protection and less jabs for children, has come about because new combination vaccines that contain hepatitis B vaccine have now become available in Australia.
"There are two new combination vaccines which have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The first combines hepatitis B with diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccines and the second combines it with Hib vaccine.
"It means infants will be protected from this insidious disease from birth. It will particularly help high-risk children who might contract hepatitis B in infancy and go on to develop chronic liver failure and cancer in later life."
The new immunisation schedule will start for children born on or after 1 May 2000, with all children born before that date continuing on the current Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule (ASVS).
The current pre-adolescent hepatitis B vaccination program for children aged between 10 and 13 years of age will continue to operate for children who have not been vaccinated as infants.
The new schedule, ratified by the NHMRC on 29 February, will also include a revised Hib requirement based on a three (rather than four) dose vaccination course.
"The new Hib schedule is for all Australian children and can be given in combination with hepatitis B, as I've described, or individually," Dr Wooldridge said.
"This means that all children will be effectively immunised against Hib disease with one less jab. Taken with the change to the hepatitis B schedule, these improvements give better disease protection for young Australians with three fewer injections."