|
Table 3: Significant events in measles, mumps and rubella immunisation practice in Australia |
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|
Year |
Month |
Intervention |
|
1968 |
|
Live, attenuated measles vaccine approved |
|
1970 |
|
Measles vaccine became widely available |
|
Rubella vaccine approved |
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|
1971 |
|
Measles vaccine initially recommended for 15 month old infants |
|
School girl rubella vaccination program commenced for 10-14 year old girls |
||
|
Rubella vaccine recommended for non-immune women of child-bearing age |
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|
1973-4 |
|
Measles vaccine recommended for 12-15 month old infants |
|
1975 |
|
First national immunisation schedule recommended measles vaccination for infants at 12 months of age |
|
1980 |
|
Mumps vaccine approved for infants aged 12-15 months |
|
More stable freeze dried measles vaccine became available |
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|
1982 |
|
Combined Measles-Mumps (MM) vaccine replaced measles vaccine |
|
1984 |
|
MM vaccination of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory changed from 12 months of age to 9 months of age |
|
1989 |
|
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine replaced the MM vaccine |
|
1992 |
Nov |
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommended second dose of MMR for both sexes to replace school girl rubella vaccination program |
|
1993 |
Nov |
Childhood immunisation schedule updated to include second dose of MMR for 10-16 year olds (replacing the school girl rubella vaccination program) |
|
1998 |
|
Recommended age for first dose of MMR for Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory increased to 12 months of age (in line with non-Aboriginal infants) |
|
|
July |
Recommended age for second MMR dose lowered to 4-5 years |
|
July-Dec |
Implementation of Measles Control Campaign (involving mass vaccination of primary school aged children with MMR vaccine) |
|
|
2000 |
May |
Recommended age for second MMR dose lowered to 4 years not 4-5 years |