Meningitis time again

[Rob]

For all you Aussies on the list, tonight on ACA (A current Affair) there is
another story on "How could our Government be so remiss as to not provide
your children with this vaccine for free?)

The promo showed sadly, a mother saying that her toddler took her last
breath in her arms....

It is very difficult in a country with a population of only 20 million to
change public perceptions on vaccination. Even though the US has over 200
million, at least statistically there are enough numbers to generate a
reasonable amount of energy in the anti-vaccination camp.
Here are some health stats I found - maybe there are newer ones than this
but these just were on hand for anyone's interest. It looks like we need
vaccines for cancer, heart disease, strokes, pneumonia.................

Robyn
COUNTRY SITUATION AND TRENDS
Geography, Demographic Statistics

The Commonwealth of Australia covers an area of 7 692 000 sq. km. Nearly 39%
of its land mass lies within the tropics; Cape York, the northernmost point,
is only 10o south of the Equator. The mainland is 3 134 km. from north to
south, from east to west, Australia spans a distance of 3 782 km.

As of 1997
As of (Year)

POPULATION [Total]
[0-14 years]
[65+ years] 18 751 000 (30Jun98)
3 918 959 (20.90%)
2 287 622 (12.20%) LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH (years) [Both]
[Male]
[Female] ...
75.6 (1995-97)
81.3(1995-97)
CRUDE BIRTH RATE (per 1 000 population) 13.50
TOTAL FERTILITY RATE 1.78 (1997)

CRUDE DEATH RATE (per 1 000 population) 6.90
% OF POPULATION SERVED [Total]
WITH SAFE WATER [Urban]
[Rural] est. 99.00 (1994)
...
...
INFANT MORTALITY RATE
(per 1 000 live births)
5.40
% OF POPULATION WITH ADEQUATE [Total]
SANITARY FACILITIES [Urban]
[Rural] est. 90.0 (1990)
...
...
MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO
(per 100 000 live births) 4.40
HEALTH STATUS
Morbidity,Mortality and Major health problems

Australia is one of the healthiest countries in the world and Australians
are becoming even healthier. This is shown in the declining death rates,
increasing life expectancy, a low rate of life-threatening infectious
diseases and, for most people, ready access to health care when needed. But
there is still room for improvement; good health is not enjoyed by all. The
health of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to
experience much poorer health than the general Australian population.

In 1997, the five leading notifiable diseases and causes of mortality, were:

LEADING NOTIFIABLE DISEASES
(Rate per 100 000 Population)
MORTALITY
(Rate per 100 000 Population)

Hepatitis C 106.70
Campylobacteriosis 63.90

Pertussis 57.60

Chlamydia infection 49.20

Salmonellosis 37.80
Malignant neoplasms (cancer) 185.00
Ischaemic heart disease 157.00

Cerebrovascular disease (stroke) 66.00

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 35.00

allied conditions

Pneumonia & Influenza 27.00
In the last 40 years there has been a further decline in the death rate from
infectious and parasitic diseases to 0.06 deaths per 1 000 population, less
than 1% of all deaths. The shift away from infectious disease deaths was
accompanied by an increase in both the age-standardized death rates and the
proportion of deaths attributed to diseases of the circulatory system and to
cancers.

Trends in death rates between 1987 and 1996 for the most common causes of
death indicate the following:

Ishaemic heart disease has continued its steady decline which began in the
late 1960s and is currently declining at 3.6% per annum for males and 3.5%
for females. In 1996 mortality rate was 196 per 100 000 population for males
(down from a peak of 497 in 1968) and 106 per 100 000 for females (down from
a peak of 250 in 1968).
Cerebrovascular disease (stroke) has also shown a steady decline from its
peak in the late 1960s, and is currently declining at a rate of
approximately 2.8% per annum in males and 3.0% in females. The 1996
mortality rate was 66 per 100 000 population for males and 58 per 100 000
for females.
Lung cancer mortality rates in males appear to have peaked in the early
1980s (69 per 100 000 population) and then fell to their lowest point in
1996 (55 per 100 000), equivalent to rates experienced in the late 1960s.
The recent decline has been at a rate of 1.9% per annum.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term for the combination
of bronchitis and emphysema-related conditions and for other chronic airways
obstructions (asthma is not included in this group). Mortality from COPD has
decline in males from 60 per 100 000 population in 1987 to its lowest point
of 47 per 100 000 in 1996. The greatest fall occurred in the 1987-1993
period, after which the reductions in the mortality rate have been modest.
Colorectal cancer mortality rates in males increased between the 1960s and
early 1980s (peaking at 32 per 100 000 population), but since 1987 have
shown declines of around 1% per annum to the 1996 rate of 29.2 per 100 000,
a similar decline to that found in incidence rates. Mortality rates in
females have been falling consistently since the mid 1940s (31 per 100 000)
to their lowest point in 1996 of 19 per 100 000, with recent falls at 2.2%
per annum.
Although the impact of diseases preventable by immunization has been much
reduced, the diseases have not been conquered. Measles have been
consistently notifiable nationally since 1991 when there were 1 380 cases
notified. There was an outbreak which started at the end of 1992 (1 425
cases), continuing through 1993 (4 536 cases) into 1994 (4 895). In the last
three years cases of measles have flunctuated from 1 342 cases in 1995, 498
cases in 1996 and 852 cases were reported in 1997.

Poliomyelitis appears to have been eliminated in Australia, with the last
natural infection with wild poliovirus reported in 1978. (A report of an
infection with wild poliovirus in 1986 has been reclassified to a
vaccine-assorted infection following more extensive testing). One other case
of vaccine-assorted paralytic poliomyelitis was reported in 1995.

The other infectious diseases of childhood still occur, and still cause
deaths. In 1997, there were 10 668 notifications of pertussis (whooping
cough, no deaths), 1 446 rubella (no deaths), 7 361 notifications of
hepatitis B (41 deaths), 191 of mumps (1 death), and 53 of Haemophilus
influenzae type b infection (4 deaths from meningitis). There were 8 cases
of tetanus notified. The only disease preventable by immunization for which
no cases were notified were diphtheria and poliomyelitis.

Respiratory conditions were the most common conditions reported for children
aged less than 15 years. Overall, 37% of children were reported to have a
respiratory condition, with asthma (16%), influenza, coughs and colds (16%)
and hay fever (7%) the most common. Other commonly reported conditions
within this age group were skin disorders (9%), sight disorders of
refraction and accommodation (8%), dental problems (7%), and injuries (6%).

The number of newly diagnosed HIV infection has decreased from 944 in 1995
to 787 people in 1997. Since 1989 there has been continuing decline in the
rates of newly acquired HIV infection rates.

This decline in HIV infection rates is also mirrored by similar declines in
the number of people currently being newly diagnosed with AIDS as well as
those dying from an AIDS related illness. This steady decline has been due
to the greatly improved treatments available in Australia, in particular the
easy access to triple combination therapies. These treatments have given
many people living with HIV literally a 'new lease on life'.

Since 1994 there has been a steady decline in the number of people being
diagnosed with AIDS, approximately 948 people in 1994 were diagnosed with
AIDS compared to 311 in 1997. Not only has there been a major decline in the
numbers of those newly diagnosed with AIDS there has been a significant
decrease in the number of people dying from an AIDS related illness. In
1994, 732 people had been reported to have died from an AIDS related
illness, the number of deaths has since decreased significantly. In 1997,
310 people died following AIDS. This marked an annual decline of 422 deaths
in three years.

There has been an estimated cumulative total of 18 743 cases of HIV
diagnosed in Australia up until 1997 (this figure has not been adjusted for
multiple reporting). In the same period there were 7 731 total cases (again
not adjusted for multiple reporting) and 5 732 deaths following AIDS.

Unspecified hepatitis C notifications were in the 20 to 44 year age group.
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