As vaccine hesitancy and misinformation drive a surge in illness, new tactics are needed to restore trust in vaccinations, writes Curtin University Professor of International Health Jaya Dantas.
Health practitioners are bracing for a horror flu season in 2025 amid falling immunisation rates. Vaccine apathy and misinformation is driving a drop in vaccinations, raising concerns as we approach winter and peak flu season.
Post-COVID-19 there has been a decrease in flu vaccination uptake in Australia from 9.3 million in 2023 to 8.8 million in 2024. This is a cause for concern, especially as we head into winter and we have the simultaneous risks of influenza, COVID-19 and RSV in the population.
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The elderly, children, those who are immune-compromised and people with co-morbidities are especially vulnerable.
Data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance Australia shows WA has the lowest vaccination rates among all the age groups, with immunisation rates dropping across all age groups in Australia since 2022.
Measles surging
Cases of measles are surging in several states in the US with over 800 cases, including three deaths and over 700 hospitalisations. Over 65% of the hospitalisations were among those who were unvaccinated.
Australians aren’t as protected against measles as they should be, which is a significant problem given the disease is one of the most contagious in the world.
We also have an outbreak of the measles virus in WA with 19 cases in WA recorded since 19 March 2025, so it is especially important that vaccinations are up to date.
Outbreaks are usually a result of too low vaccination rates due to misinformation and hesitancy.
We need childhood vaccination rates of 95% for herd immunity but currently only 92.21% of two-year-old children in Australia are vaccinated against measles – with some regions at much lower rates.
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We need to keep reinforcing that vaccines do make a difference and protect us from infectious diseases that can be debilitating or cause death.
Most people globally, especially those in middle-to high-income countries, have never witnessed the devastating effects of diseases like polio or measles, which once caused widespread illness and death.
Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, hundreds of thousands of cases occurred each year. However, in the decade following the vaccine’s rollout infection rates dropped by over 88%.
Overall, childhood vaccination programs over the past 50 years are estimated to have saved approximately 154 million lives.
Drivers for falling vaccination rates
Vaccine misinformation, apathy, hesitancy and a lack of understanding of side effects are some of the reasons for poor vaccine uptake.
While some people believe that abstaining from vaccination keeps them healthier or more resistant to diseases, the reality is that their immunity has, until now, been borrowed from their vaccinated neighbours.
This collective shield, known as herd immunity, is not automatic or enduring, it has been built over decades through high vaccination rates.
Unfortunately, this protection is now eroding due to rising vaccine scepticism and many who have unwittingly benefited from herd immunity in the past are now at greater risk.
Social media has also been weaponised to spread misinformation, with a recent study suggesting that its algorithms fuel scepticism and vaccine hesitancy by creating echo chambers that reinforce users existing beliefs and perpetuate inaccurate public health messaging.
There is also limited fact-checking of misinformation since Facebook disabled the fact checking tab.
A GPs role
So, what can be done by the government, the Department of Health and GPs who are the first port of call for the public?
We need a more coordinated approach to address the growing scepticism. Standard behavioural approaches such as mandatory vaccines, incentives, and public health campaigns should continue to be implemented alongside more contemporary approaches like fact-checking on social media, improving digital literacy, and using social media to actively counter misinformation and reinforce the global success of vaccines.
These efforts must be grounded in trust and transparency as history has shown these elements are essential for the success of public health initiatives.
Other measures should include launching public education campaigns, ensuring vaccine access, and working with local officials to restore trust in immunisation programs.
The ability of a minority to remain unvaccinated always depends on the decisions of a vast community to protect them. Today, in our global world of conflict, migration and mobility we confront more outbreaks, one message is uncontested: community immunity is not a personal choice, it is a collective responsibility.
For the sake of our public health, our children, our elderly and those most vulnerable it is critical to note that vaccines and immunisation are one of the great public health success stories of the past century.
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