School of Health and Society

Experts unite behind evidence supporting immunisation

Senior health and medical researchers at the University of Wollongong have united to urge all parents to ensure their children are fully immunised. Researchers across the university want parents to have the best clinical and scientific evidence to enable them to make informed decisions about what is best for their child.

The evidence is clear. Immunisation protects children and saves lives. While individuals may express personal opinions, the international scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports immunisation to protect children from infectious diseases.

Professor Heather Yeatman, UOW Professor of Public Health and President of the Public Health Association of Australia, said immunisation was one of the best choices parents could make. Parents should be confident that immunising children is best practice.

“Along with healthy foods, hand washing and a loving environment, immunisation is one of those basic things we can do to safeguard our children’s health,” Professor Yeatman said.

“For more than 50 years children have been immunised and it is one of our best success stories in public health.

“Immunisation provides an important safeguard against infectious disease when children go to school or play with others. Immunisation is also important to protect young babies, for older adults and when people are travelling overseas.”

Large-scale immunisation programs began in the 1930s and gathered pace in the 1950s. According to the Australian Government website, Immunise Australia (www.immunise.health.gov.au/), this has led to a 99% drop in deaths from vaccine preventable disease.
The Public Health Association of Australia describes immunisation as “one of the highest impact and cost-effective public health interventions, preventing 2-3 million deaths worldwide each year.”

Any parent with concerns should talk with their doctor, early childhood centre or community nurse, or go to the Immunise Australia website.

For further information/comment:

Professor Heather Yeatman
0409 849679

Professor Alison Jones
0420 378471

Professor Alison Jones
Executive Dean, Faculty of Science Medicine and Health

Professor Glenn Salkeld
Executive Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences (incoming)

Senior Professor Kathy Eagar
Director, Australian Health Service Research Institute

Professor Heather Yeatman
Head, School of Health and Society

Professor Ian Wilson
Dean of Medicine

Distinguished Professor Antoine van Oijen
ARC Laureate Fellow

Distinguished Professor Nicholas Dixon
Director Centre Medical & Molecular Biology

Senior Professor Julie Steele
Professor Biomechanics

Senior Professor Sharon Robinson
Biological Sciences

Professor Jenny Beck
Associate Dean Research, Science, Medicine and Health

Professor William Buttemer
Professorial Fellow

Professor Kathleen Clapham
Professor, Indigenous Health

Professor Anne Cusick
Associate Dean Academic, Social Sciences, Professor, Occupational Therapist

Professor Andy Davis
Marine Biology

Professor Chao Deng
Professorial Fellow

Professor Simon Eckermann
Professor, Health Economics

Professor Tony Hulbert
Lipid Research Centre

Professor Peter McLennan
Chair of Physiology

Professor Nagesh Pai
Chair of Psychiatry

Professor Will Price
Director AIIM

Professor Ian Ring
Australian health Services Research Institute

Professor Ian Wright
Chair of Paediatrics

Assoc Professor Eleanor Beck
Nutrition and Dietetics

Assoc Professor Karen Charlton
Public Health (Nutrition)

Assoc Professor Heath Ecroyd
Protein Chemistry

Assoc Professor David Garne
Associate Dean Community, Primary, Rural, Remote

Assoc Professor Rob Gordon
Australian Health Services Research Institute

Assoc Professor Dianne Jolley
Environmental Marine Chemistry

Assoc Professor Aaron Oakley
Protein Chemistry

Assoc Professor Danielle Skropeta
Course Director B Premedicine, Science & Health

Assoc Professor Louella McCarthy
Academic Lead Community Engagement

Assoc Professor Judy Mullan
Academic Lead Research and Critical Appraisal

Assoc Professor Kylie Mansfield
Curriculum Manager

Assoc Professor Ronald Sluyter
Head, Immunology and Cell Signalling Group

Assoc Professor Lyndal Parker-Newlyn
Medical Education

Assoc Professor Karen Walton
Nutrition and Dietetics

Assoc Professor Dominique Parrish
Associate Dean Academic, Science Medicine & Health

Assoc Professor Mark Wilson
Academic Lead Community Based Health Education

Dr Martin Engel
Associate Research Fellow

Dr Xiaoqi Feng
Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology

Dr Vinod Gopaldasani
Lecturer, Work Health & Safety

Dr Sarah Hancock
Associate Research Fellow

Dr Flynn Hill
Associate Research Fellow

Dr Adam Hodgkins
GP preceptor, Shoalhaven

Dr Bridget Kelly
Senior Lecturer, Bach of Public Health Course Director

Dr Maria Mackay
Senior Lecturer (Hong Kong)

Dr Kate Manderson
Senior Lecturer Case Based Learning, General Practitioner

Dr Benjamin Marwick
Senior Research Fellow

Dr Darryl McAndrew
Senior Lecturer Anatomy

Dr Jason McArthur
Research Fellow

Dr Michelle Moscova
Senior Lecturer Educational Development

Dr Elizabeth Neale
Research Fellow, Nutrition and Dietetics

Dr Anne-Maree Parrish
Lecturer, Public Health

Dr Russell Pearson
Regional Academic Lead, Shoalhaven, General Practitioner

Dr Greg Peoples
Senior Lecturer, Medical Sciences

Dr Yasmine Probst
Research Fellow Nutrition and Dietetics

Dr Warren Rich
Lecturer Research and Critical Appraisal

Dr Helen Rienits
Academic Lead Clinical Skills, General Practitioner

Dr Joanna Russell
Lecturer, Public Health

Dr Martina Sanderson-Smith
Senior Research Fellow

Dr Sal Sanzone
Senior Lecturer Case based Learning and Clinical Skills

Dr Moira Stephens
Senior Lecturer

Professor Linda Tapsell
Senior Professor Nutrition and Dietetics
 

Dr Teresa Treweek
Senior Lecturer Medical Science

Dr Kath Weston
Senior Lecturer Public Health

Dr Kathryn Williams
Australian Health Services Research Institute

Dr Louise Wright
Head of Students

Dr Justin Yerbury
Senior Research Fellow

Last reviewed: 31 March, 2016