Advisory Group Recommendations for Addressing Undervaccination in NIP-Eligible Populations

Despite strong national immunisation programs, Australia continues to experience persistent and, in some cases, worsening undervaccination across several vaccine-preventable diseases. To address this, the Immunisation Coalition has released a new report outlining practical, evidence-aligned recommendations to improve vaccine uptake among populations eligible under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

The Advisory Group Recommendations for Addressing Undervaccination in NIP-Eligible Populations report focuses on four priority disease areas where coverage gaps remain: COVID-19, influenza, pneumococcal disease and pertussis. These diseases were selected due to declining vaccination rates, ongoing disease burden, and missed opportunities for prevention—particularly among older adults, young children, people with medical risk conditions, pregnant women and residents of aged care facilities.

Developed through expert consensus, the report brings together insights from clinicians, public health specialists, pharmacists, nurses, researchers and industry representatives. Rather than revisiting why vaccination is important, the report concentrates on how to improve delivery, outlining clear, implementable actions that align with the National Immunisation Strategy 2025–2030.

Key themes across the recommendations include:

• Better use of data and the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to identify and recall people who are due or overdue for vaccination
• Strengthening vaccination delivery in primary care, aged care and community settings
• Improving access through coordinated programs, funded immunisation coordinators and expanded provider roles
• Providing tailored, fit-for-purpose education for patients, carers and healthcare professionals
• Supporting scalable pilot programs that can be evaluated and expanded nationally

The report is intended to support policymakers, healthcare providers and stakeholders by offering practical solutions that can be actioned now, helping to close coverage gaps and reduce avoidable illness, hospitalisation and death.

Read the full report to explore the recommendations in detail and understand how targeted, system-level changes can strengthen Australia’s immunisation landscape.