4073. 2808. 1013. These aren't just numbers. They are the number of deaths from diphtheria, pertussis and polio at the height of their outbreak in Australia.

One of the most naive things I hear from people talking about vaccination is that because there aren't current outbreaks of diseases that were commonplace 100 years ago, their kids will be safe. Let me make this clear – that attitude is not only complete and utter rubbish, it completely threatens the ongoing success of our vaccination program.

Don't take it for granted that our kids aren't dying from diphtheria – consider us lucky. It is wholly and solely because of our effective immunisation program that we have managed to eradicate these diseases.

Professor Clem Boughton was once a senior physician at the Division of Infectious Diseases at Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney. In other words, he was at the frontline of treating these diseases. He hits the nail on the head when he talks about the reason complacency is creeping up on vaccines: "As a result of the effectiveness of immunisation programs, most young parents have not seen any of these conditions once so common in the community, and do not realise how dangerous they are."