Childhood Immunization: Health Policies, Promotion, Advocacy and Equity in Australia

Running head: CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION
CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION
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1CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION
NUR212 Task 3–Written Assignment Template– 1500 words
The procedure of ‘Childhood Immunization’ is of utmost importance for the enhancement of
a child’s immune system, to aid in the prevention and of fatal diseases (Berhane 2016).
The following report outlines the scenario of childhood immunization in Australia, including
health policies, promotion and advocacy, along with an evaluation on the equity achieved by
current immunization policies.
Discusses health policies that apply to the topic
Australia is home to numerous immunization strategies, aiming to inculcate awareness
regarding the importance of childhood vaccination, and formulating programs, policies and
advocacy measures for the same (Fraser et al. 2016).
The Department of Health of the Australian Government has formulated the ‘National
Immunization Program’ (NIP). This government-oriented program has achieved high rates of
success, by ensuring the provision of vaccines in every district. This program circulates at the
state, district as well as the territory and Commonwealth platform, to reduce or prevent the
affliction of harmful diseases, which are preventable via adequate vaccination. It is a
nationally, as well as internationally acclaimed initiative, which strives in the provision, of
the availability of vaccines of over 17 fatal diseases, free of cost (Lawrence et al. 2016). The
National Immunization Program of the Australian Government, by the Department of Health,
also aims to provide extensive information to concerned families, regarding the requirement
of vaccination in childhood, the negative medical repercussions concerning the same, as well
provision of a required vaccination schedule (Nhmrc.gov.au 2018).
The development of the National Immunization Program of Australia, is also supported by
the conductance of extensive research, which is actively performed by the National Centre for
Immunization Research and Surveillance. This surveillance body provides aid in the

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formulation of policies for childhood immunization, by coordinating its activities with the
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (Dey et al. 2016). The National
Centre for Immunization Research and Surveillance and the Australian Technical Advisory
Group, work in unison through conductance of epidemiological research and analysis,
resulting in provision of adequate scientific information for improvement and enhancement
of the national Immunization Program of Australia (Ncirs.edu.au 2018).
The Public Health Association of Australia has an actively functioning Immunization Policy.
The policy aims at advocating communities, groups and regions, where the availability of
immunization programs is relatively less, to encourage the Government of Australia in its
efforts to provide adequate vaccination programs for all. The Immunization Policy also
strives in establishing coordination, cooperation, communication between the various district
and state level bodies, in order to assist in ensuring the availability of adequate childhood
immunization programs, all over the country (Attwell et al. 2017).
However, a number of children in Australia, continue to be deprived of adequate
immunization procedures. To prevent this discrepancy and the resultant future medical
complications, the Australian Government has formulated a ‘No Jab, No Pay’, policy, to
encourage parents to vaccinate their children. Under the governance of this policy, children
who have not received immunization, will be denied admission and enrollment in schools and
centers concerning child care. Across the southern region of Australia, families consisting of
children who have been deprived of vaccination, are denied permission to avail governmental
benefits (Yang and Studdert 2017).
Hence, it is evident that the Health Department of the Government of Australia, has
undertaken active child immunization procedures, in order to prevent the outbreak of fatally
harmful diseases.

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Apply principles of health promotion, primary health care and advocacy relevant
to this issue
Health Promotion
Immunize Australia’ is an actively functioning health promotion plan, formulated by the
National Immunization Program of the Department of Health, Government of Australia. The
program aims to impart adequate knowledge and information regarding the importance of
undertaking vaccination in children, and the list of diseases required for the concerned child
to be immunized against. The website of the concerned program also ensures the availability
of an immunization handbook. The handbook imparts necessary information regarding a
vaccination time schedule which parents are required to adhere to, in order to ensure safe and
timely immunization of their concerned children (Wang et al. 2017).
Primary Health care
The Department of Health, by the Government of Australia, undertakes active participation in
ensuring adequate childhood immunization schedules, through its National Immunization
Policy, as well as Immunize Australia program. Under these policy frameworks, the national
government ensures vaccination of Australians, free of cost, across a number districts,
communities, childcare and health centers and well as across states (Immunise.health.gov.au
2018). The government’s free immunization programs aims to provide vaccinations for a
number of deadly, yet preventable diseases such as diphtheria, influenza, measles, human
papillomavirus, chicken pox, hepatitis A and B, mumps, meningococcal, polio, rubella,
rotavirus, herpes, tetanus, pneumococcal and whooping cough. Before the commencement of
the vaccination procedure, the participants have to undergo an eligibility criteria, which
includes children under 18 months of age, pregnant women or individuals who have not