Australian childhood immunisation coverage, 1 April to 30 June cohort, assessed as at 30 September 2012

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS) provides commentary on the trends in the Australian Childhood Immunistaion Register data for children vaccinated at 12, 24 and 60 months of age.

Page last updated: 21 February 2014


Brynley Hull for the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Introduction

Tables 1, 2 and 3 provide the quarterly report on childhood immunisation coverage from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR).

The data show the percentage of children ‘fully immunised’ at 12 months, 24 months and 60 months, for 3-month birth cohorts of children at the stated ages between 1 April and 30 June 2012. ‘Fully immunised’ refers to vaccines on the National Immunisation Program Schedule, but excludes rotavirus, pneumococcal conjugate, varicella, and meningococcal C conjugate vaccines, and is outlined in more detail below.

‘Fully immunised’ at 12 months of age is defined as a child having a record on the ACIR of three doses of a diphtheria (D), tetanus (T) and pertussis-containing (P) vaccine, 3 doses of polio vaccine, 2 or 3 doses of PRP-OMP containing Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine or 3 doses of any other Hib vaccine, and 2 or 3 doses of Comvax hepatitis B vaccine or 3 doses of all other hepatitis B vaccines. ‘Fully immunised’ at 24 months of age is defined as a child having a record on the ACIR of 3 or 4 doses of a DTP-containing vaccine, 3 doses of polio vaccine, 3 or 4 doses of PRP-OMP Hib vaccine or 4 doses of any other Hib vaccine, 3 or 4 doses of Comvax hepatitis B vaccine or 4 doses of all other hepatitis B vaccines, and 1 dose of a measles, mumps and rubella-containing (MMR) vaccine. ‘Fully immunised’ at 60 months of age is defined as a child having a record on the ACIR of 4 or 5 doses of a DTP-containing vaccine, 4 doses of polio vaccine, and 2 doses of an MMR-containing vaccine.

A full description of the basic methodology used can be found in Commun Dis Intell 1998;22(3):36–37.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS) provides commentary on the trends in ACIR data. For further information please contact NCIRS at: telephone +61 2 9845 1435, email: brynley.hull@health.nsw.gov.au

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Results

The percentage of children ‘fully immunised’ by 12 months of age for Australia decreased marginally from the previous quarter by 0.1 of a percentage point to 91.8% (Table 1). There were no important changes in coverage for any individual vaccines due at 12 months of age or by jurisdiction.

Table 1. Percentage of children immunised at 12 months of age for the birth cohort 1 April to 30 June 2011, preliminary results, by disease and state or territory; assessment date 30 September 2012
Vaccine State or territory Aust
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
Total number of children
1,329
24,738
1,001
15,954
4,945
1,523
17,807
8,223
75,520
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (%)
94.1
92.1
93.1
92.5
92.5
92.5
92.9
90.9
92.3
Poliomyelitis (%)
94.1
92.0
93.1
92.5
92.4
92.5
92.9
90.9
92.3
Haemophilus influenzae type b (%)
94.0
91.9
93.1
92.4
92.4
92.3
92.7
90.7
92.2
Hepatitis B (%)
93.2
91.7
93.0
92.2
92.1
92.5
92.5
90.4
91.9
Fully immunised (%)
93.1
91.6
92.8
92.1
92.0
92.3
92.3
90.3
91.8
Change in fully immunised since last quarter (%)
-0.0
-0.1
-1.4
+0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-0.4
+0.2
-0.1

The percentage of children ‘fully immunised’ by 24 months of age for Australia increased marginally from the previous quarter by 0.5 of a percentage point to 92.8% (Table 2). There were no important changes in coverage for any individual vaccines due at 24 months of age or by jurisdiction.

Table 2. Percentage of children immunised at 24 months of age for the birth cohort 1 April to 30 June 2010, preliminary results, by disease and state or territory; assessment date 30 September 2012*
Vaccine State or territory Aust
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
* The 12 months age data for this cohort were published in Commun Dis Intell 2011;35(4):331.
Total number of children
1,327
24,735
934
15,925
4,896
1,494
18,152
8,150
75,613
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (%)
96.3
95.0
95.8
94.5
95.3
95.4
95.7
93.7
95.0
Poliomyelitis (%)
96.3
95.0
95.9
94.5
95.3
95.4
95.7
93.6
95.0
Haemophilus influenzae type b (%)
96.0
95.4
96.0
94.5
95.3
95.6
95.7
93.8
95.1
Measles, mumps, rubella (%)
94.7
94.1
94.9
94.0
94.4
94.7
94.7
92.6
94.1
Hepatitis B (%)
95.6
94.7
95.7
94.1
94.9
95.1
95.2
92.7
94.5
Fully immunised (%)
93.4
92.8
93.8
92.6
93.1
93.9
93.6
90.6
92.8
Change in fully immunised since last quarter (%)
+0.7
+0.8
-1.9
+0.0
+0.9
+0.3
+0.6
+0.5
+0.5

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The percentage of children ‘fully immunised’ by 60 months of age for Australia increased from the previous quarter by 0.2 of a percentage point to 90.7% (Table 3). This continues the upward trend in coverage for this age milestone. There were no important changes in coverage for any individual vaccines due at 60 months of age or by jurisdiction.

Table 3. Percentage of children immunised at 60 months of age for the birth cohort 1 April to 30 June 2007, preliminary results, by disease and state or territory; assessment date 30 September 2012
Vaccine State or territory Aust
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
Total number of children
1,232
24,830
946
16,142
4,901
1,548
17,895
8,186
75,680
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (%)
93.2
91.2
90.0
91.1
89.7
93.1
92.4
89.5
91.2
Poliomyelitis (%)
93.0
91.1
90.1
91.1
89.5
93.0
92.3
89.5
91.2
Measles, mumps, rubella (%)
92.8
91.0
90.1
91.0
89.5
93.1
92.2
89.2
91.0
Fully immunised (%)
92.5
90.7
89.5
90.5
89.1
92.9
91.8
88.9
90.7
Change in fully immunised since last quarter (%)
+1.6
+0.1
-0.8
-0.5
+0.3
+2.1
+0.2
+1.3
+0.2

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There is a clear trend of increasing vaccination coverage over time for children aged 12 months, 24 months and 60 months (from December 2007) (Figure). Coverage at 60 months of age is close to the coverage levels attained at 12 and 24 months.

Figure: Trends in vaccination coverage, Australia, 1997 to 30 June 2012, by age cohorts

Trends in vaccination coverage, Australia, 1997 to 30 June 2012, by age cohorts. A link to a text description follows.

Text version of Figure (TXT 1 KB)

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