As South Australia’s new ‘No Jab, No Play’ law comes into effect, explore the vaccination rates for your area on our interactive map

As new “No Jab, No Play” laws in SA loom, The Advertiser can reveal two trouble spots among the vaccination rates by regions across the state. EXPLORE THE MAP

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Dramatic changes to early childhood services come into force from Friday with the “No Jab, No Play” legislation excluding children up to the age of six from early learning services who have not been fully vaccinated having a bigger impact on some areas than others.

Data covering four years of vaccinations to the March 2020 quarter shows areas such as Adelaide City and the Adelaide Hills have significantly lower rates compared to areas such as the Mid-North and Limestone Coast. Explore the data for your area below.

Statewide, South Australia tails the national aspirational rate of 95 per cent coverage — the rates as of March were 94.7 per cent, 91.5 per cent and 94.6 per cent for the respective age groups of one year, two years and five years.

The rates differ from area to area and also among age groups within the same areas.

In the one-year age bracket, areas with rates under 93 per cent include Adelaide City with 89.7 per cent as well as Adelaide Hills, Port Adelaide West, Eyre Peninsula and South West, and Outback North and East.

In contrast, areas above 95 per cent coverage include the Mid North with 97 per cent as well as Port Adelaide East, Burnside, Prospect Walkerville, Tea Tree Gully, Holdfast Bay, Marion, Mitcham, Barossa, Yorke Peninsula, Limestone Coast and Murray Mallee.

NOTE: The map shapes above are Australian Bureau of Statistics regions, which closely correlate to metropolitan council areas.

In the two-year-old group, Norwood-Payneham-St Peters was the only area to top 95 per cent coverage with 95.2 per cent, while areas under 90 per cent include Adelaide City on 80.7 per cent as well as Prospect Walkerville, Holdfast Bay, Eyre Peninsula and South West, and Outback North and East.

Among five-year olds, Yorke Peninsula had 96.6 per cent coverage among regions with better than 95 per cent coverage including Gawler Two Wells, Playford, Salisbury, Tea Tree Gully, Port Adelaide West, Barossa, Mid North and Limestone Coast.

Areas with less than 93 per cent coverage were led by Adelaide City with 83.9 per cent as well as Adelaide Hills, Norwood-Payneham-St Peters and Holdfast Bay.

Services affected by the immunisation requirements include childcare, family day care, occasional care, preschool, kindergarten and early learning centres, including early childhood services provided at primary school sites.

Services such as primary education, babysitting, playgroups, childminding, or services comprising out of school care are excluded and it does not apply to compulsory education after the child turns six.

Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade said: “The message is crystal clear – get your kids fully immunised or they will not be admitted to early learning centres. We are not willing to put your child, other children, staff and the wider community at risk.

“The State Liberal Government has a strong focus on protecting children from vaccine preventable diseases and we are delivering on that goal with public health initiatives.”

The South Australian Chief Public Health Officer may grant an exemption. A valid reason and evidence will needed when applying for an exemption.