Dr Rob Menzies

Senior Lecturer, program lead for ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander vaccination’.

Dr Rob Menzies B App Sc, MPH, PhD, School of Public Health & Community Medicine, UNSW, SYDNEY

Dr Menzies is an infectious disease epidemiologist focusing on the surveillance and evaluation of immunisation programs and vaccine policy development. He has led six major national immunisation program evaluations for State and Federal governments, more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, and served as Chief Investigator for three NHMRC/ARC research grants. He has particularly focused on ensuring the best use of vaccines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) people.

Focus points from his “Vaccine myopia: adult vaccination needs attention too” paper published today in the Medical Journal of Australia, include: We estimate that each year, 4.1 million Australians are at risk of serious disease because they missed out on a government funded and recommended vaccination.

•    The vast majority of these are adults aged ≥ 65 years, or younger adults with medical or other risk factors.
•    Only 150,000 of these are children aged < 6 years, but most public attention is directed at the small proportion of parents of these children who are vaccine-hesitant.
•    Low adult vaccination rates require a greater focus in policy and practice.

Dr Menzies is nationally recognised for his research work pioneering the publication of vaccination coverage for Indigenous children from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. This included initiating and leading the publication series “Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Vaccination Coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people” – see
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/CA2578620005D57ACA257C46000635D9/$File/cdi37suppl.pdf. 

Dr Menzies is the inaugural winner of the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health Cross-cultural Public Health Award, 2004, for this work. This culminated in Indigenous child coverage milestones being included as performance indicators linked to millions of dollars of funding from the Commonwealth to States, as part of the National Agreement on Essential Vaccines, and major improvements in vaccination coverage and timeliness in this population.

His focus now has moved from Indigenous children to Indigenous adults, where coverage is much lower than for Indigenous children and non-Indigenous adults. For example, influenza vaccine is provided free of charge to all Indigenous adults (≥ 15 years) and the non-Indigenous elderly (≥ 65 years), because of their high rates of respiratory and chronic disease. But while coverage in elderly Australians is around 75 per cent, in Indigenous adults it is around 30 per cent.  

Dr Menzies has been an advocate for adult vaccination, serving on the Adult Vaccination Survey advisory committee and organising a national workshop in August 2016 to drive the development of the new National Immunisation Register – see
https://med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/events/AIR_workshop_26-Aug-16.pdf, in particular its ability to monitor coverage in targeted programs such as in younger Indigenous adults.
 

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PUBLICATIONS

Journal articles

Raina MacIntyre C;Menzies R;Kpozehouen E;Chapman M;Travaglia J;Woodward M;Jackson Pulver L;Poulos CJ;Gronow D;Adair T, 2016, 'Equity in disease prevention: Vaccines for the older adults – a national workshop, Australia 2014', Vaccine, vol. 34, pp. 5463 - 5469, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.09.039

Dyda A;Karki S;Hayen A;MacIntyre CR;Menzies R;Banks E;Kaldor JM;Liu B, 2016, 'Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in Australian adults: A systematic review of coverage and factors associated with uptake', BMC Infectious Diseases, vol. 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-1820-8

Hull BP;Dey A;Beard FH;Menzies RI;Brotherton JM;McIntyre PB, 2016, 'Immunisation coverage annual report, 2013.', Commun Dis Intell Q Rep, vol. 40, pp. E146 - E169, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27080022

Ward KF;Trent M;Hull BP;Quinn HE;Dey A;Menzies RI, 2015, 'Evaluating the implementation of the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine supplementary dose program in Australian primary health care settings', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-0738-y

Menzies RI;Bremner KM;Wang H;Beard FH;McIntyre PB, 2015, 'Long-Term Trends in Invasive Haemophilus influenzae Type b Disease among Indigenous Australian Children Following use of PRP-OMP and PRP-T Vaccines', Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, vol. 34, pp. 621 - 626, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000000681

Smithers-Sheedy H;Raynes-Greenow C;Badawi N;Khandaker G;Menzies R;Jones CA, 2015, 'Cytomegalovirus-related childhood mortality in Australia 1999-2011', Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, vol. 51, pp. 901 - 905, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12896

Menzies RI;Jardine A;McIntyre PB, 2015, 'Pneumonia in Elderly Australians: Reduction in Presumptive Pneumococcal Hospitalizations but No Change in All-Cause Pneumonia Hospitalizations Following 7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination', Clinical Infectious Diseases, vol. 61, pp. 927 - 933, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/civ429

Wood JG;Goeyvaerts N;Raina MacIntyre C;Menzies RI;McIntyre PB;Hens N, 2015, 'Estimating vaccine coverage from serial trivariate serologic data in the presence of waning immunity', Epidemiology, vol. 26, pp. 381 - 389, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/eDe.0000000000000278

Gao Z;Wood JG;Gidding HF;Newall AT;Menzies RI;Wang H;McIntyre PB;Macintyre CR, 2015, 'Control of varicella in the post-vaccination era in Australia: A model-based assessment of catch-up and infant vaccination strategies for the future - CORRIGENDUM', Epidemiology and Infection, vol. 143, pp. 1651, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268815000308

GAO Z;WOOD JG;GIDDING HF;NEWALL AT;MENZIES RI;WANG H;McINTYRE PB;MACINTYRE CR, 2015, 'Control of varicella in the post-vaccination era in Australia: a model-based assessment of catch-up and infant vaccination strategies for the future – CORRIGENDUM', Epidemiology and Infectionhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268815000308

Smith MA;Liu B;McIntyre P;Menzies R;Dey A;Canfell K, 2015, 'Fall in genital warts diagnoses in the general and indigenous australian population following implementation of a national human papillomavirus vaccination program: Analysis of routinely collected nat', Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 211, pp. 91 - 99, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiu370

Mahajan D;Dey A;Cook J;Harvey B;Menzies RI;Macartney KM, 2014, 'Surveillance of adverse events following immunisation in Australia, 2012', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 38, pp. E232 - E246

Hull BP;Dey A;Menzies RI;Brotherton JM;McIntyre PB, 2014, 'Immunisation coverage, 2012', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 38, pp. E208 - E231

Menzies RI;Jayasinghe SH;Krause VL;Chiu CK;McIntyre PB, 2014, 'Impact of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in people aged 65 years or older', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 200, pp. 112 - 115, http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/mja12.11759

Menzies R;Andrews R, 2014, 'Immunisation issues for Indigenous Australian children', Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, vol. 50, pp. E21 - E25, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1754.2011.02079.x

Khandaker G;Raynes-Greenow C;Smithers-Sheedy H;Booy R;Menzies R;Jones C, 2014, 'Mortality from herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in Australian children, 1999-2011 using national datasets', Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets, vol. 14, pp. 89 - 92

Menzies RI;Krause VL;McIntyre PB, 2014, 'Impact of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in people aged 65 years or older', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 201, pp. 200, http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/mja14.00399

Quinn HE;Wood NJ;Cannings KL;Dey A;Wang H;Menzies RI;Moberley S;Reid S;McIntyre PB;Macartney KK, 2014, 'Intussusception after monovalent human rotavirus vaccine in australia: Severity and comparison of using healthcare database records versus case confirmation to assess risk', Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, vol. 33, pp. 959 - 965, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000000362

Wood JG;Heywood AE;Menzies RI;McIntyre PB;MacIntyre CR, 2014, 'Predicting localised measles outbreak potential in Australia', Vaccinehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.12.071

Smith MA;Liu B;McIntyre P;Menzies R;Dey A;Canfell K, 2014, 'IMPACT OF HPV VACCINATION IN THE GENERAL AND INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN POPULATION: ANALYSIS OF GENITAL WARTS DIAGNOSES IN NATIONAL HOSPITAL DATA', ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, vol. 10, pp. 18 - 18, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000346343700050&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a

Gao Z;Wood JG;Gidding HF;Newall AT;Menzies RI;Wang H;McIntyre PB;Macintyre CR, 2014, 'Control of varicella in the post-vaccination era in Australia: A model-based assessment of catch-up and infant vaccination strategies for the future', Epidemiology and Infection, vol. 760, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268814002222

Dey A;Gidding HF;Menzies R;McIntyre P, 2014, 'General practice encounters following seasonal influenza vaccination as a proxy measure of early-onset adverse events', Vaccinehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.02.044

Newall AT;Reyes JF;Wood JG;Beutels P;McIntyre P;Menzies R, 2014, 'Economic evaluations of implemented vaccination programmes: key methodological challenges in retrospective analyses', Vaccinehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.11.067

Hull BP;Dey A;Menzies RI;Brotherton JM;McIntyre PB, 2013, 'Immunisation coverage annual report, 2011', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 37, pp. E291 - E312

Hull BP;Menzies R;Macartney K;McIntyre PB, 2013, 'Impact of the introduction of rotavirus vaccine on the timeliness of other scheduled vaccines: The Australian experience', Vaccine, vol. 31, pp. 1964 - 1969, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.02.007

Ward K;Dey A;Hull B;Quinn HE;Macartney K;Menzies R, 2013, 'Evaluation of Australia's varicella vaccination program for children and adolescents', Vaccine, vol. 31, pp. 1413 - 1419, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.12.052

Abbott P;Menzies R;Davison J;Moore L;Wang H, 2013, 'Improving immunisation timeliness in Aboriginal children through personalised calendars', BMC Public Health, vol. 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-598

Menzies RI;Markey P;Boyd R;Koehler AP;McIntyre PB, 2013, 'No evidence of increasing Haemophilus influenzae non-b infection in Australian Aboriginal children', International Journal of Circumpolar Health, vol. 72, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.20992

Feikin DR;Kagucia EW;Loo JD;Link-Gelles R;Puhan MA;Cherian T;Levine OS;Whitney CG;O'Brien KL;Moore MR;Feikin DR;Link-Gelles R;Cherian T;Adegbola RA;Agocs M;Ampofo K;Andrews N;Barton T;Benito J;Broome CV;Bruce MG;Bulkow LR;Byington CL;Camou T;Cook H;Cotter S;Dagan R;de Wals P;Deceuninck G;Denham B;Edwards G;Eskola J;Fitzgerald M;Galanakis E;Garcia-Gabarrot G;Garcia-Garcia JJ;Gene A;Gomez B;Heffernan H;Hennessy TW;Heuberger S;Hilty M;Ingels H;Jayasinghe S;Kagucia EW;Kellner JD;Klein NP;Kormann-Klement A;Kozakova J;Krause V;Kriz P;Lambertsen L;Lepoutre A;Levine OS;Lipsitch M;Loo JD;Lopez-Vega M;Lovgren M;Maraki S;Mason EO;McIntyre PB;Menzies R;Messina A;Miller E;Mintegi S;Moore MR;Motlova J;Moulton LH;Mühlemann K;Muñoz-Almagro C;O'Brien KL;Murdoch DR;Park DE;Puhan MA;Reingold AL;Sa-Leao R;Sanyal A;Smith PG;Spanjaard L;Techa, 2013, 'Serotype-Specific Changes in Invasive Pneumococcal Disease after Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Introduction: A Pooled Analysis of Multiple Surveillance Sites', PLoS Medicine, vol. 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001517

Hull B;Dey A;Menzies R;McIntyre P, 2013, 'Annual immunisation coverage report, 2010.', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 37

Naidu L;Chiu C;Habig A;Lowbridge C;Jayasinghe S;Wang H;McIntyre P;Menzies R, 2013, 'Vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Australia 2006-2010.', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 37 Suppl

Ward K;Quinn H;Menzies R;McIntyre P, 2013, 'A history of adolescent school based vaccination in Australia', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 37, pp. E168 - E174

Mahajan D;Cook J;Dey A;Macartney K;Menzies R, 2013, 'Supplementary report: surveillance of adverse events following immunisation among children aged less than seven years in Australia, 1 January to 30 June 2012', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 37, pp. E130 - E134

Dey A;Wang H;Menzies R;Macartney K, 2012, 'Changes in hospitalisations for acute gastroenteritis in Australia after the national rotavirus vaccination program', Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 197, pp. 453 - 457, http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/mja12.10062

Mahajan D;Cook J;Dey A;Macartney K;Menzies RI, 2012, 'Annual report: Surveillance of adverse events following immunisation in Australia, 2011.', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 36

Menzies RI;Burgess M;Durrheim DN, 2012, 'Controlling measles in NSW: how are we doing in the context of other countries in the Western Pacific?', New South Wales public health bulletin, vol. 23, pp. 169 - 170

Mahajan D;Reid S;Cook J;Macartney K;Menzies RI, 2012, 'NSW annual report describing adverse events following immunisation, 2011.', New South Wales public health bulletin, vol. 23, pp. 187 - 200

Mahajan D;Cook J;McIntyre P;Macartney K;Menzies R, 2012, 'Supplementary report: Surveillance of adverse events following immunisation among children aged less than seven years in Australia, 1 January to 30 June 2011.', Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, vol. 36, pp. 114 - 119

Hull B;Dey A;Campbell-Lloyd S;Menzies RI;McIntyre PB, 2012, 'NSW annual immunisation coverage report, 2011.', New South Wales public health bulletin, vol. 23, pp. 179 - 186

Song N;Gao Z;Wood JG;Hueston L;Gilbert GL;MacIntyre CR;Quinn HE;Menzies R;McIntyre P, 2012, 'Current epidemiology of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in Australia: Progress towards elimination', Vaccine, vol. 30, pp. 4073 - 4078, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.04.025

Mission statement

To reduce the immunisation gap between adults and children through research, teaching and advocacy, with a special focus on the elderly, high risk and vulnerable populations.

Contact Us

Professor Raina MacIntyre

Raina MacIntyre

NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Global Biosecurity.

+61 2 93850920

r.macintyre@unsw.edu.au

Dr Elizabeth Kpozehouen

Dr Elizabeth Kpozehouen

Research Associate

02 9385 0082

e.kpozehouen@unsw.edu.au