DTPa immunisation for U5 year olds
DTPa immunisation for U5 year olds is trending well below 95% coverage: a call to action to reverse the trend through parent engagement
Date: November 5, 2025, Time: 6:30pm to 7:30pm (AEDT)
About the Webinar
The Immunisation Coalition is hosting this webinar to provide an important update for healthcare professionals involved in childhood immunisation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination rates in children under 5 years have declined across several key disease areas, including DTPa (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis).
Recent NCIRS data highlights this concern: while coverage for DTPa is close to 90% in 1-year-olds, it falls below 90% in some states among 2-year-olds. Although vaccination coverage improves by age 5, it continues to trend downwards towards 90%, falling short of the national target of 95%.
This webinar will explore the importance of maintaining high DTPa coverage in early childhood, the implications of declining rates, and strategies to support improved uptake among children under 5.
Learning Objectives
- Review the epidemiology, disease burden and Australian immunisation rates of DTPa in children under 5 years of age
- Explain the importance of DTPa immunisation and the rationale behind the 5 dose NIP schedule (2, 4, 6, 18 and 48 months of age)
- Summarise the key reasons behind the declining vaccination rate and detail practical strategies for HCPs and Parents that lead to reversing the decline
- Summarise available real-world experience on DTPa vaccines including global vaccination rates, strategies to address this, and a focus on safety, efficacy and effectiveness
- Discuss the need for ongoing evidence generation and post-marketing surveillance of DTPa immunisation, to support continued evaluation and confidence of DTPa immunisation
Presenters
Speaker: A/Prof Nusrat Homaira
A/Prof Nusrat Homaira
A/Prof Homaira is a medically trained paediatric respiratory epidemiologist with almost two decades of working experience in prevention and control of respiratory infections of childhood in low, middle- and high-income settings . She currently works as A/Prof Paediatric Epidemiology, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health at UNSW, Sydney and a Respiratory Scientists at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. A/Prof Homaira leads the program on common lung diseases of childhood and has been involved in multiple seminal studies which were critical for driving immunisation initiatives. She has been heavily engaged in advocacy and policy discussions around equitable access to new and existing immunisations against respiratory infections of childhood . A/Prof Homaira has published >100 scientific papers in high impact journals including Lancet series, BMJ and Thorax and her research has attracted 10 million AUD in grant funding. Dr Homaira is an elected council member of International Society for Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses and Research sub-committee member and Lung Health Faculty for Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Moderator: Dr Rod Pearce AM
Moderator: Dr Rod Pearce AM
Dr Rodney Pearce AM is a country and city GP and Medical Officer of Health for the Eastern Health Authority (HA), Adelaide. Dr Pearce became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on Australia Day 2012. He received the award for his long-standing service to medicine as a General Practitioner, through contributions to national medical organisations and to education.
Speaker: Dr Andrew Baird
Speaker: Dr Andrew Baird
Andrew is a General Practitioner in St Kilda, Melbourne, and a Medical Advisor with a medical defence organisation. He has a background in rural general practice and medical education.
Sponsor
