On 1 Nov 2020, Australia reported the highest recorded childhood vaccination, with new figures showing four quarters of growth in all childhood coverage rates to September 2020.

Each year, the Austalian Government invests more than $400 million in the National Immunisation Program to protect young and vulnerable Australians. The highest rates of vaccination are among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children at five years, at more than 97 per cent.

The coverage rate for all five-year-olds continues to grow towards the aspirational 95 per cent target. In the year to September 2020, it reached 94.9 per cent.

Among all two-year-old children, the coverage rate has risen to almost 92.4 per cent, which is the first time it has climbed above 92 per cent since 2014. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander two-year-old vaccination rate has also risen to almost 91.2 per cent in the current quarter.

The overall vaccination rate for one-year-olds has also increased in the last twelve months, reaching 94.7 per cent, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander one-year-old vaccination rate increased to 93.5 per cent. The recent phase of the Australian Government’s Childhood Immunisation Education Campaign specifically targets parents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-5 years.