vaccination rates AustraliaVaccination is once again on the minds of many following the airing of SBS documentary, Jabbed: Love, Fear and Vaccines.

Not that it is ever too far out of the public consciousness – it was only last week that the NSW premier announced he’d back a draft bill to allow childcare centres the right to choose whether to accept children who aren’t vaccinated.

And as we hear news of the measles outbreak in the Swansea region in the south of Wales, which reportedly reached 1125 cases last week, we are left wondering … could this happen here?

Associate Professor Paul Middleton says it could …

“We now face the very real possibility of outbreak of measles or another serious virus among older children and teenagers here as well,” he told the Bub Hub.

“There are 32 areas across Australia where 85% of children or less are not fully vaccinated – and 90% is considered the “safe” cut off.”

 

So what is the vaccination rate where you live?

According to the National Health Performance Authority’s recent report, Healthy Communities: Immunisation rates for children in 2011-12, there are almost 77,000 Australian children who are not fully vaccinated.

It shows there are 32 Medicare Local Catchment areas where the percentages of children fully vaccinated is 85% or less in at least one of the three age groups recorded (1 year, 2 years and 5 years) in 2011-12.

The following map shows the percentages of fully vaccinated children (aged 5 years) by Medicare Local catchment, 2011–12.

vaccination rates Australia

vaccination rates australia

The national fully vaccinated rate in this age group is 90%, so how does your local area compare?

Great South Coast (Vic) 95% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 71)

Hume (Vic/NSW) 93% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 168)

Gippsland (Vic) 93% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 234)

Hunter (NSW) 93% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 623)

Grampians (Vic) 93% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 202)

Murrumbidgee (NSW) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 201)

Illawarra-Shoalhaven (NSW) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 362)

Wide Bay (Qld) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 197)

Loddon-Mallee-Murray (Vic/NSW) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated= 216)

Barwon (Vic) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 285)

Central Coast NSW 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 336)

Bayside (Vic) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 537)

Central & NW Qld 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 57)

New England (NSW) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 208)

Australian Capital Territory 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 398)

South Eastern Sydney 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 501)

Darling Downs-SW Qld 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 371)

Townsville-Mackay (Qld) 92% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 484)

Inner East Melbourne 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 604)

Northern Melbourne 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 770)

Frankston-Mornington Peninsula (Vic) 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 329)

Macedon Ranges & NW Melb 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 622)

Country North SA 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 228)

South Western Melbourne 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 372)

Tasmania 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 592)

South Eastern Melbourne 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 693)

Eastern Melbourne 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 492)

Goulburn Valley (Vic) 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 194)

West Moreton-Oxley (Qld) 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 539)

Metro North Brisbane 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 1098)

South Western Sydney 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 1274)

Western NSW 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 352)

Far North Qld 91% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 376)

Nepean-Blue Mountains (NSW) 90% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 480)

Greater Metro South Brisbane 90% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 1252)

Inner NW Melbourne 90% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 417)

Western Sydney 90% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 1287)

Central Qld  90% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 328)

Northern Sydney 89% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 543)

Southern NSW 89% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 265)

South West WA 89% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 446)

Northern Territory 89% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 377)

Goldfields-Midwest (WA) 89% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 192)

Gold Coast (Qld) 89% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 742)

Country South SA 89% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 203)

Inner West Sydney 88% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 782)

Northern Adelaide 88% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 630)

Far West NSW 88% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 62)

Lower Murray (Vic/NSW) 87% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 113)

Sydney North Shore & Beaches 87% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 757)

Perth South Coastal 87% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 456)

Sunshine Coast (Qld) 87% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 602)

Fremantle (WA) 87% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 368)

Perth North Metro 87% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 940)

Sthn Adelaide-Fleurieu-Kangaroo Is. 87% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 621)

Central Adelaide & Hills 86% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 755)

Kimberley-Pilbara (WA) 86% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 206)

Bentley-Armadale (WA) 86% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 741)

Perth Central & East Metro 86% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 787)

North Coast NSW 86% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 896)

Eastern Sydney  84% (actual number NOT fully vaccinated = 592)

 

For more information you can find the full report here:

National Health Performance Authority 2013, Healthy Communities: Immunisation rates for children in 2011–12, NHPA, Sydney

 

Image credit: dianadivina/123RF Stock Photo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *