Vaccines are safe, effective and essential.
This is Elderslie GP, Dr Matthew Gray’s message to the community as South Western Sydney PHN launches a new campaign to encourage every person across the region to become an ‘immunisation hero’.
“Vaccinations play a vital role in keeping each of us healthy,” said Dr Gray, an experienced GP and former SWSPHN Board Chair.
“Like eating well or exercising regularly, vaccination is one of the most effective and safest preventative care measures available in a developed society like ours.
“We all need to be reminded vaccine-preventable viruses or bacteria can and do cause serious illness and even death, and they haven’t gone away.”
“There have been concerning and ongoing declines in childhood vaccination coverage since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with somewhat greater declines in coverage in adolescents than in other age groups”.
According to the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance Australia’s 2024 report on vaccination coverage in Australia – “There have been concerning and ongoing declines in childhood vaccination coverage since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with somewhat greater declines in coverage in adolescents than in other age groups”.
Dr Gray said he had seen more vaccine hesitancy in the past few years, which could be related to misinformation on social media or post-COVID-19 vaccine fatigue.
“Patients want to know more about the importance of and the reason for vaccinations,” he said.
He says concerns include a fear of serious side effects which are “extremely rare”, the impacts of vaccination on their immune system (“exposure to the ingredients in a vaccine is tiny compared to everything we are exposed to on a daily basis just living in our environment”) and the effectiveness of vaccines compared to natural immunity.
“Vaccines are a safe and effective way to develop immunity, without the risks associated with getting an infection which can have serious consequences, including death,” he said.
Dr Gray said vaccination was not only important during childhood but vital across a person’s life, whether it be young adults being vaccinated against HPV or meningococcal, or older people or immunocompromised people being vaccinated against influenza.
He stressed vaccine-preventable illnesses – measles, whooping cough and meningitis, for example – still existed, still caused harm and were potentially fatal.
“Vaccinations can and do save lives by limiting the outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases in our community. They’re important for the individual and to protect others in the community who might not be able to get vaccinated because they are too young or too unwell.”
Dr Gray said he had seen the consequences when people had not been vaccinated.
“I’ve seen a teenager who got meningitis because they hadn’t been vaccinated against chickenpox. Working in an emergency department, I saw babies who came in with meningococcal disease who hadn’t been vaccinated,” he said.
“While these things are rare, they do still happen.
“I travel to parts of Africa where outbreaks of these illnesses are more common, and I’ve seen people who have been impacted as a result of some of these diseases.”
Dr Gray highlighted the positive stories – the “illnesses they haven’t gotten” – of people who had been vaccinated.
“An older person who didn’t develop shingles who tells me about how their friend had shingles and how unwell they’ve been. Or the parents of a young child or children who was able to keep attending daycare or school, while their friend has been very unwell or sick and had to take time off school.
“They’re so glad they have had the vaccination. They have been able to work, to holiday, to be with family and friends – all those things we find important in life.”
Dr Gray said patients should talk to their GP if they had questions about vaccination.
“GPs have a strong role to play, both to educate patients about vaccines and to administer vaccines,” he said.
“We’ve also got a role in helping make people aware of what vaccines are available and their eligibility, and to put out recall notices to remind people to get their vaccinations.
“Ensuring people can access primary care so they can access these services, is also important”.