The Department of Health has issued the latest data on immunisation coverage for Australian children, revealing them to have reached record levels.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said this showed that more parents were getting the message to protect their children with life-saving vaccines.
The Department’s data for the March quarter revealed immunisation rates for all five-year-olds was at 94.78 per cent, up from 94.67 per cent in the December 2018 quarter.
Mr Hunt said Australia’s vaccination rates for children were well above the global vaccination coverage of 85 per cent.
“The latest figures show that the vast majority of parents are hearing the message about the benefits of vaccinations and I am delighted that our public health campaigns and our immunisation programs are protecting all Australians,” Mr Hunt said.
He said that overall, immunisation coverage rates continued to increase for the three age groups — one, two and five-year-olds — with Victoria and Tasmania both performing above the national rate.
“Coverage rates for five-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are at an impressive 96.66 per cent and well above the national rate,” Mr Hunt said.
“The low incidence of vaccine preventable disease in Australia confirms the effectiveness of our immunisation services, programs and policies.”
The Department’s information can be accessed on its website at this PS News link.
