Essential childhood immunisation reaches record new high

Australia’s childhood immunisation rates have risen to record levels, with coverage for all five year olds now at 94.77 per cent.

 

Immunisation rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have increased even more.

 

All six categories made positive gains, with coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children at five years 96.90 per cent.

 

This is higher than the national coverage rate for all five-year-old children.

 

One-year-old and two-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander coverage rates also jumped significantly. The two-year-old rate climbed to above 90 per cent for the first time since December 2014, increasing to 90.03 per cent.

 

  | March 2020 | June 2020
General one-year-old | 94.37 | 94.60
General two-year-old | 91.46 | 91.68
General five-year-old | 94.74 | 94.77
Indigenous one-year-old | 92.92 | 93.40
Indigenous two-year-old | 89.70 | 90.03
Indigenous five-year-old | 96.86 | 96.90

 

The Government is profoundly committed to immunisation, and its importance during this COVID-19 pandemic cannot be overstated. Immunisation is an essential weapon in the fight against COVID-19. 

 

It saves lives and protects lives.

 

As the nation enters a critical stage in chasing the COVID-19 virus down, it is more vital than ever to maintain herd immunity against vaccine preventable diseases.

 

The Government is investing more than $400 million in the National Immunisation Program each year. Clearly, our concerted efforts to have our children immunised are working, to the benefit of Australian children and their families.

 

I am delighted that the Government’s Childhood Immunisation Education Campaign continues to have an impact.

 

The campaign and its ‘on time’ vaccination message was specifically focused on parents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and Aboriginal Medical Services, and the increases are particularly heartening.