July 21, 2026
Australian childhood vaccination coverage is declining annually, with lower coverage and increased disease risk among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
A new study comprehensively explores the post‐pandemic social and behavioural drivers of routine childhood vaccine uptake for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from the perspectives of urban, rural and remote health service providers in New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
The study showed health service providers can provide valuable insights to inform tailored strategies to improve declining vaccine coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, aligned with the priorities of the National Immunisation Strategy 2025-2030.
Targeted programs and initiatives should be co‐designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and informed by health service provider perspectives.
Read the study
Original study [not funded by APPRISE] featuring FIRST Governance Group members Dr Kristy Crooks and Ms Katrina Clark
Bianca F. Middleton, Kristy Crooks, Kylie Taylor, Elizabeth Harwood, Katrina K. Clark, Caitlin Kent, Kelly McCrory, Marita Hefler, Jessica Kaufman, David N. Durrheim, Margie H. Danchin, Drivers of vaccine uptake for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children to inform tailored strategies: A qualitative study exploring health service provider perspective. Medical Journal of Australia 224, no. 7 (2026): e70233, https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.70233.