Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation

What is SKAI?

SKAI is home to credible information about the vaccines recommended in Australia, as well as the diseases they can prevent. It aims to support conversations about vaccination between community members and healthcare professionals. It makes evidence-based information easier to access, and provides respectful and helpful answers to common questions about vaccination.

What is the history of SKAI?

The SKAI project began in 1999, when Professor Julie Leask started researching immunisation conversations. After many years of research, an interdisciplinary team developed the original SKAI content, which was made available to community members and healthcare professionals on the first SKAI website, launched in 2019. This project involved the contributions researchers and clinicians as well as extensive input from parents, communicators, nurses, paediatricians, GPs, website designers, educators and immunisation program managers. 
  
Following the launch of the SKAI website, Professor Margie Danchin developed a similar website with a focus on immunisation during pregnancy and for babies at birth. The MumBubVax website was launched in 2019. 
  
In 2022, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care agreed to a proposal to combine the two websites. This decision was informed by an extensive evaluation of the existing content and formats, which collected insights from 667 community members and more than 2,500 healthcare professionals. This website is the result of that work. 
  
In the years ahead, we hope to expand SKAI to include other areas of vaccination. If you have any feedback on the website or any comments about how it could be expanded in the coming years, please contact us at SCHN-NCIRS@health.nsw.gov.au.

What can SKAI do for the community?

We acknowledge community members’ need for accurate information to inform the health decisions they make for themselves and their families. We also want to see community members and healthcare professionals have more satisfying conversations about vaccination. The SKAI website provides the community with information about immunisation that they can trust, and answers some of the most common questions about vaccination.

What can SKAI do for healthcare professionals?

We hope that SKAI will give healthcare professionals the confidence to invite community members to share their questions and concerns during vaccination consultations. The professional resources available on SKAI have been designed to help doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals meet the needs of community members, as well as determine whether they are ready for vaccination, intend to decline vaccination or have some questions they need to be answered. 

Who is responsible for SKAI content?

A team at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) – made up of social science, vaccination, clinical, education and communication experts – conducts regular updates of the SKAI package. A team at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) also contributes to updates. The NCIRS SKAI team consults with the community and healthcare professionals to co-design content and explore ways to improve and update SKAI content. This ensures that SKAI is responsive to community and healthcare professional needs and preferences.

Also refer to SKAI - supporting communities and SKAI - supporting health professionals

Visit the SKAI website