Overall HPV uptake among teenagers is declining, raising concerns about future protection against cervical, oral, and anal cancers.

Experts stress the importance of basing guidance on robust scientific information and separating misinformation from evidence-based vaccine advice.

Personal stories, such as Naomi Steenson recalling her son Blake’s death from whooping cough, illustrate the human impact of under-vaccination and the ongoing push for higher uptake.

New South Wales is seeing the highest measles activity since 2019, with 37 cases this year, mostly in the Sydney region.

Continued annual declines in vaccination rates since 2020 increase the risk of preventable diseases and potential deaths, according to the NCIRS director.

At least 80,000 children under five are not fully protected, coinciding with a major rise in pertussis and a tripling of measles cases from the previous year.

Two infant deaths from whooping cough have occurred recently, underscoring the lethal consequences of reduced vaccination.

The federal government has launched the National Immunisation Strategy and is investing $600 million to fund 31 vaccines across 18 diseases, though rapid implementation and resources are still needed.

Health Minister Mark Butler highlighted the funding for vaccines through the National Immunisation Program to safeguard children and communities.

Public health experts caution that ongoing declines threaten progress toward eliminating certain vaccine-preventable diseases and could lift mortality from illnesses like whooping cough.

Vaccination rates for HPV among adolescents have fallen, with 2025 coverage at about 78.7% for girls and 75.6% for boys, and even lower rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teens.

The fully vaccinated rate for one-year-olds dropped to 90.5% in 2025, with declines also seen among two- and five-year-olds, continuing a multi-year downward trend.