Australia’s immunisation strategy faces its toughest test yet

In an ecosystem still adjusting to the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of vaccination in Australia is under pressure. Mike Zhang, General Manager of Sanofi Vaccines for Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, explores what it will take to push immunisation back into the national spotlight.

Having stepped into the role just over a year ago, Zhang is no stranger to complexity. Overseeing vaccine efforts across vastly different healthcare systems, he offers a perspective shaped by regional nuance, political inertia, and a deepening concern around declining immunisation rates.

With the National Immunisation Strategy (NIS) freshly released, and HTA reforms still sitting idle more than a year after landing on Health Minister Mark Butler’s desk, the timing of this discussion couldn’t be more pointed.

Zhang reflected on the ripple effects of international decisions – specifically, whether recent staffing changes at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) could impact vaccine R&D and regulatory timelines here in Australia, despite Sanofi’s global headquarters being based in Europe.

He closed the conversation by looking ahead to the next three years, where Sanofi’s priorities will sharpen in step with the core ambitions of the NIS – expanding equitable access, accelerating innovation, and rebuilding public trust in vaccines.

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