Improvements in immunisation rates for 5 year old children
The following information focuses on immunisation rates for 5 year old children, as this is the age when all routine childhood immunisations in the Schedule are expected to be complete (Figure 2).
Measuring immunisation rates over time is important to determine if rates are improving as a result of efforts at the national, state and local levels.
Various initiatives have helped improve childhood immunisation rates. These include new laws requiring children to be immunised to enrol in child care or for parents to receive government rebates, as well as state and territory government programs and local action by healthcare professionals. Public reporting of immunisation rates at the local level may also encourage improvements in the percentage of children fully immunised.
Nationally, the percentage of fully immunised 5 year olds has steadily improved from 90.0% in 2011–12 to 92.9% in 2015–16.
Primary Health Network areas
Similarly, rates have improved amongst PHN areas. Immunisation rates for 5 year olds in all 31 PHN areas improved between 2012–13 and 2015–16. In 2015–16, for the first time, all 31 PHN areas had fully immunised rates over 90%, compared with 25 of the 31 PHN areas in 2012–13 (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Immunisation rates for 5 year old children, by Primary Health Network area, 2012–13 to 2015–16
| Primary Health Network area | Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | |
| Western NSW | 94.0 | 94.3 | 95.6 | 96.1 |
| Murrumbidgee (NSW) | 93.7 | 95.0 | 95.7 | 96.0 |
| Hunter New Eng. & Cent. Coast (NSW) | 93.9 | 94.5 | 94.8 | 95.4 |
| Gippsland (Vic) | 94.2 | 93.4 | 93.5 | 94.9 |
| South Eastern NSW | 93.1 | 93.9 | 93.5 | 94.7 |
| Nepean Blue Mountains (NSW) | 92.9 | 93.3 | 94.0 | 94.7 |
| Western Queensland | 92.2 | 94.5 | 92.9 | 94.4 |
| Western Victoria | 93.8 | 93.6 | 93.5 | 94.2 |
| Murray (Vic & part NSW) | 92.7 | 93.2 | 93.5 | 94.2 |
| Northern Queensland | 92.7 | 93.2 | 93.7 | 94.1 |
| South Western Sydney (NSW) | 92.5 | 93.0 | 93.8 | 94.0 |
| Darling Downs & West Moreton (Qld) | 93.0 | 93.2 | 93.3 | 94.0 |
| Tasmania | 92.9 | 92.7 | 92.6 | 93.8 |
| Country WA | 91.2 | 92.3 | 92.0 | 93.6 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 92.3 | 92.7 | 93.2 | 93.5 |
| Country SA | 92.0 | 92.5 | 91.7 | 93.4 |
| North Western Melbourne (Vic) | 92.4 | 92.5 | 92.5 | 93.2 |
| Eastern Melbourne (Vic) | 92.1 | 92.4 | 92.4 | 93.2 |
| Western Sydney (NSW) | 91.7 | 92.2 | 92.4 | 93.0 |
| Brisbane North (Qld) | 92.0 | 92.7 | 93.0 | 92.9 |
| South Eastern Melbourne (Vic) | 92.1 | 91.7 | 92.1 | 92.6 |
| Brisbane South (Qld) | 91.0 | 92.2 | 92.0 | 92.3 |
| Northern Territory | 90.9 | 91.4 | 92.4 | 91.9 |
| Adelaide (SA) | 90.4 | 90.4 | 90.5 | 91.9 |
| Cent. Qld, Wide Bay & Sunshine Coast | 90.8 | 91.6 | 91.0 | 91.6 |
| Central & Eastern Sydney (NSW) | 89.4 | 90.1 | 90.8 | 91.5 |
| Northern Sydney (NSW) | 89.0 | 89.9 | 90.4 | 91.3 |
| Gold Coast (Qld) | 89.3 | 90.1 | 90.7 | 90.8 |
| Perth South (WA) | 88.6 | 88.9 | 90.0 | 90.8 |
| Perth North (WA) | 89.2 | 89.1 | 90.3 | 90.6 |
| North Coast (NSW) | 88.0 | 88.7 | 89.2 | 90.3 |
| National | 91.5 | 92.0 | 92.2 | 92.9 |
Note Data for PHN areas are only available from 2012–13.
Source Australian Institute of Health and Welfare analysis of Department of Human Services, Australian Immunisation Register statistics, for the period 1 April to 31 March, assessed as at 30 June.
What does fully immunised at 5 years mean?
Fully immunised at 5 years means that a child has received four doses of diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine, four doses of polio vaccine and two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
It is assumed that all previous vaccinations were received.