About

Note from the President

The Australian Academy of Science is an independent institution that provides science advice and builds public awareness and understanding of science. This guide was created to help Australians understand scientific information about immunisation so that everyone can make well-informed healthcare decisions. It can be used as a helpful tool for discussions between healthcare professionals and patients, between family and friends, and any conversations about vaccination.

The Academy is grateful for the pro-bono contributions made to this report by the expert working group. The Academy also thanks the Australian Government Department of Health for providing financial support to prepare and publish this latest edition and previous versions of this guide.

Professor John Shine AC PresAA FRS
President, Australian Academy of Science

This edition of The Science of Immunisation (2021)

Expert Working Group

• Professor Carola Vinuesa FAA FAHMS (Chair)
  Co-Director, Centre for Personalised Immunology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University
• Dr Preeya Alexander
  General Practitioner and Medical Educator
• Professor Tony Basten AO FAA FTSE
  Emeritus Fellow, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
• Dr Frank Beard
  Associate Director, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance; Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health, University of Sydney
• Professor Tony Cunningham AO FAHMS
  Director, Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research; Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Margie Danchin
  Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne
• Dr Antonio Di Dio
  ACT President, Australian Medical Association
• Mr Darius Everett
  Acting Assistant Secretary, Immunisation and Communicable Disease Branch, Australian Government Department of Health
• Dr Rod Lamberts
  Deputy Director, Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University
• Professor Kristine Macartney
  Director, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance; Professor in Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney
• Distinguished Professor Ingrid Piller FAHA
  Professor of Applied Linguistics, Macquarie University
• Ms Lisa Ranson
  COVID Communications, Australian Government Department of Health

Peer Reviewers

• Professor Ian Frazer AC FAA FTSE FAHMS FRS
• Professor Dale Godfrey FAHMS
• Professor Patrick Holt FAA
• Professor Julie Leask

Acknowledgements

Project management, science policy, editorial services, design and communication assistance was provided by the Australian Academy of Science. Contributing staff members Dr Hayley Teasdale, Ms Emma Berthold, Mr Chris Anderson, Mr Andrew Berthold, Dr Tom Carruthers, Ms Robyn Diamond, Mr Paul Richards, Mr Dan Wheelahan and Ms Anna-Maria Arabia are gratefully acknowledged.

Previous editions

Expert Working Group

• Professor Tony Basten AO FAA FTSE (Co-chair)
• Professor Ian Frazer AC FAA FTSE FAHMS FRS (Co-chair)
• Professor Francis Carbone FAA
• Professor Patrick Holt FAA
• Professor Julie Leask
• Professor Peter McIntyre AO
• Professor Terry Nolan
• Professor Judith Whitworth AC

Reviewers

• Sir Gus Nossal AC CBE FAA FTSE FAHMS FRS (Chair)
• Professor Ian Gust AO
• Professor Fiona Stanley AC FAA FAHMS(Hon) FASSA
• Professor Bob Williamson AO FAA FRS FAHMS(Hon)

Copyright and ISBNs

The Australian Academy of Science received funding from the Australian Government Department of Health to publish this document.

Interest declarations of all committee members are available at www.science.org.au/disclosure-register

ISBN 978-0-85847-765-0 (Printed booklet)
ISBN 978-0-85847-766-7 (Digital PDF with references)
ISBN 978-0-85847-767-4 (Digital PDF without references)

© 2021 Australian Academy of Science

GPO Box 783, Canberra ACT 2601, all rights reserved. Selected passages, tables or diagrams may be reproduced, provided the source is acknowledged. Major extracts are not permitted without the written permission of the Academy.

Please cite “The science of immunisation: Questions and answers”, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, 2021. www.science.org.au/immunisation

For a version with full references and figure sources, visit www.science.org.au/immunisation

Cover images (PDFs and printed versions): Unsplash and Kathie Teasdale