Vaccination slide continues
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Childhood vaccination rates in Australia have declined for a third consecutive year.
The latest report from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) shows coverage decreased at all three key age milestones.
Fully vaccinated rates fell at 12 months (92.8 per cent, down from 93.3 per cent in 2022 and 94.8 per cent in 2020), 24 months (90.8 per cent, from 91.0 per cent in 2022 and 92.1 per cent in 2020), and 60 months (93.3 per cent, from 93.4 per cent in 2022 and 94.8 per cent in 2020).
These declines follow eight years of growth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While these declines are relatively modest, the ongoing decreasing trend is concerning,” says Associate Professor Frank Beard, Associate Director of Surveillance, Coverage, Evaluation, and Social Science at NCIRS.
Timeliness remains an issue, with a drop in children receiving vaccinations within 30 days of the recommended age.
Between 2020 and 2023, rates fell for the second dose of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (from 90.1 per cent to 83.5 per cent for non-Indigenous children and 80.3 per cent to 74.6 per cent for Indigenous children) and the first dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (from 75.3 per cent to 67.2 per cent for non-Indigenous children and 64.7 per cent to 56.0 per cent for Indigenous children).
The downward trend also affects adolescents, despite reduced COVID-19 restrictions.
HPV vaccination by age 15 dropped slightly (from 85.3 per cent to 84.2 per cent for girls and 83.1 per cent to 81.8 per cent for boys), as did coverage for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis boosters (from 86.9 per cent to 85.5 per cent) and the meningococcal ACWY vaccine by age 17 (from 75.9 per cent to 72.8 per cent).
Adult vaccination coverage varied, with pneumococcal vaccine rates rising for those turning 71 (from 33.8 per cent to 37.6 per cent), while influenza coverage fell among adults aged 65 and over (from 70.0 per cent to 64.3 per cent). Shingles vaccine coverage also dipped slightly (from 41.3 per cent to 41.0 per cent).
“Vaccination coverage is clearly suboptimal for all adult vaccines across all age groups,” Beard noted.
Experts emphasise the need to understand the causes of declining vaccination rates.
“Regular monitoring is important, but it does not tell us why uptake is low,” Beard said.
The National Vaccination Insights project aims to identify vaccination barriers, with initial findings focused on adults’ influenza vaccination motivations released this month.
Although Australia’s coverage is relatively high by global standards, Beard warned against complacency.