The Maternal Immunisation in Australia whitepaper was developed by Biointelect in collaboration with the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) and supported by Pfizer Australia. The whitepaper brings together the expertise of leading clinicians, researchers, policymakers, advocates and health system specialists and identifies practical, evidence-based solutions to strengthen maternal immunisation uptake across the country.
While Australia achieves strong immunisation rates by global standards, recent data shows that maternal vaccination rates for influenza and pertussis have declined since 2021. Coverage remains uneven across jurisdictions and health settings, with particularly low uptake among younger women, First Nations women and those in rural or low-income communities. With the rollout of the new maternal RSV vaccine under the National Immunisation Program and the release of the National Immunisation Strategy 2025–2030, this is a critical time to strengthen coordination, data sharing and communication to ensure equitable access and consistent protection for mothers and newborns.
The whitepaper details nine evidence-based recommendations that were developed through the roundtable, to improve maternal immunisation systems, data, delivery and integration across Australia. It was officially launched on Whooping Cough Day on 8 November 2025.
