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New vaccines to go on free schedule |
The Government will soon provide free chickenpox (varicella) vaccine for all toddlers and at-risk teenagers and replace oral polio vaccine (OPV) with injectable inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).
Following a recommendation by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, which reviews the latest evidence on vaccines, the vaccines will be funded under the National Immunisation Program from November 1.
Chickenpox vaccine will be offered free to all children at 18 months of age. Children aged between 10-13 years who have not received chickenpox vaccine or who have not had the disease will be offered the free vaccine as part of a long-term catch-up program.
The replacement of oral with injectable polio vaccine will allow the use of a new six-in-one combination vaccine that provides protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and polio. This vaccine reduces the amount of injections needed, as currently Haemophilus influenzae type b (hib) is a separate injection.
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