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John Dwyer, an immunologist and emeritus professor of medicine at the University of NSW, expressed to SBS News that trust in vaccines has waned.
“We’ve got to counter this misinformation, which is far outweighing the good information that’s available through social media,” he said.
What are the current childhood vaccination rates?
While most children in Australia receive vaccinations, the government and experts aim for 95 per cent coverage to maintain robust community immunity.
Data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance indicates a decline in vaccination rates for children under five between 2020 and 2024. Source: SBS News
In 2024, 91.6 per cent of one-year-olds were fully vaccinated, a drop from 94.8 per cent in 2020.
But the largest drop was recorded at 24 months of age, with coverage declining by 4.5 per cent since 2020.
Vaccination coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continued to decline in 2024 across all three milestone ages — one, two and 5 years. Source: SBS News
“Australia has high vaccination rates when you look globally, but our rates have fallen alarmingly,” Dwyer said.
“This requires a positive campaign that makes people feel comfortable and yes, makes them feel a little guilty if they haven’t done the best by their child by vaccinating them.”
What’s the government’s plan?
The plan outlines priority areas, including enhancing vaccine access in First Nations communities, strengthening the immunisation workforce, and building trust.
The government’s national immunisation strategy aims to improve vaccination uptake across Australia over the next five years by reducing vaccine hesitancy and improving access. Source: SBS News
It also lists priority groups with conditions that put them at a greater risk of contracting or experiencing severe outcomes from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“For lots of infectious diseases, you get substantial immunity against infection through the vaccine, and you can totally control them and even reach elimination for many infectious diseases just by reaching high enough coverage,” Trauer said.
While ‘herd immunity’ cannot “totally protect” people from some viruses, such as COVID-19, he said others, like measles, can be “eliminated” from the population.
