This report presents results from the Burden of Vaccine Preventable Diseases in Australia study (BVPD study). The BVPD study used incidence-based modelling to estimate burden. This approach reflects the burden of all new cases of disease that occur in the reference year and their immediate and future consequences (including death). Due to differences in methods, results from this report should not be directly compared with those from the Australian Burden of Disease Study or the Global Burden of Disease study.

The Australian Government provides free vaccines to eligible people, including young children, older Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and others who are at greater risk of serious harm from vaccine preventable diseases (VPD), such as pregnant women. In 2018, the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP) provided vaccines against 17 diseases.

Results of the BVPD study show a reduction in the burden for a number of diseases for which vaccines have been added to, or vaccine eligibility extended on, the NIP schedule during the past 20 years. These include human papillomavirus (HPV), chickenpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease and rotavirus.