Vaccines: the new Australian best-practice schedule

To the Editor: The recent editorial by Burgess and McIntyre on the recommended vaccination schedules in Australia1 points to the fiscal constraints on offering the new, costlier vaccines. Overcoming these constraints would not be insurmountable if vaccinations were to be linked with annual festivals and celebrations in the life of individuals and the community.

Birthday celebrations are important for infants and preschool children. Rather than giving conventional birthday gifts, varicella vaccine, costing $40, would be most appropriate. For those in the sixth or higher decades of life, gifts of influenza vaccine, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine or the adult formulation of the diphtheria–tetanus vaccine would be memorable on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day and silver, golden or platinum wedding anniversaries.

Similarly, slight adjustments to the allocation of funds for celebrating festivals such as Christmas and New Year, Dewali or Eid could make costly vaccines available to all. Vaccine producers, like department stores, could gear up for a Christmas vaccine sale.

The public should be motivated to consider vaccines the most appropriate gifts. This is bound to address any poor coverage of costlier vaccines, such as varicella or the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine.