Vaccination

US president Barack Obama has urged parents to "get your kids vaccinated - it's good for them."

When it comes to children’s health, there are few topics more emotionally polarising than vaccination. Granted, the vast majority of Australian kids receive their scheduled jabs. Yet among the small minority of parents who refuse them and argue for the right to abstain, the opposition is often vehement. In response, there’s been a growing chorus […]

Half of Australians who oppose childhood vaccination get their information from the internet, while most supporters trust the advice of their GP. The finding, which emerged from the first national survey on our attitudes to vaccination, has sparked calls from medical experts for scientific evidence supporting childhood jabs to be made more accessible and user-friendly […]

An Australian scientist has led a vaccine breakthrough that is being lauded worldwide but largely ignored in local media. Zoe Arnold asks why we’re letting anti-vaccination lobbyists stop us from celebrating a major medical milestone. There’s some big news in the medical community this week. Gardasil: the vaccine that prevents human papillomavirus (HPV), better known […]

A devastating killer influenza outbreak is heading to Australia where it will claim lives, doctors have warned. The deadly H3N2 “super flu” wrought havoc in the US in December and January, killing 20 children and causing vaccine shortages across the country. The virus is expected to arrive in Australia within weeks and Australian Medical Association […]

The number of Australian kids who are not vaccinated is growing, putting all children at risk of potentially fatal diseases. Mum-of-two Zoe Arnold explains why there is no excuse not to immunise your kids. Picture this: a screaming infant sitting in a trolley, with his stressed mother pushing him as quickly as possible through a […]