Vaccination rates hit historic high surpassing 95 per cent gold standard

Australia now has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world with new figures showing we have surpassed the all-important 95 per cent mark.

We’ve done it — for the first time, Australia has not only hit but surpassed the immunisation gold standard with a 95.09 per cent vaccination rate for five-year-olds.

With 95 per cent of the population vaccinated, childhood diseases that kill cannot get a foothold due to what is termed herd immunity.

Just a decade ago, vaccination rates were falling and in 2011 were at 89 per cent for five-year-olds.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said these figures bode well for the imminent COVID vaccine rollout expected in late February.

“We are obviously delighted, it is the result of many years of hard work by many people,” Mr Hunt said.

The start of the No Jab No Play campaign.

“Australia’s immunisation rates are world-leading.”

The numbers began rising after The Sunday Telegraph’s No Jab No Play campaign launched in 2013 to counter low vaccination rates. It required children in NSW be vaccinated before entering child care. Despite criticisms of the initial campaign, other states adopted similar versions.

In 2015, No Jab No Pay was introduced by the Federal Government, which adopted a carrot and stick approach by withholding family payments to those who refused to vaccinate.

Children must meet immunisation requirements to get Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A or child care fee assistance.

The initiatives saw a year on year improvement in vaccination rates culminating in the latest December quarter figures of 95.09 per cent for five-year-olds and 97.25 for Indigenous five-year-olds.

Greg Hunt says Australia’s immunisation rates are world leading. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

“Programs such as No Jab No Play and No Jab No Pay have played a critical role in that,” Mr Hunt said.

“These figures show Australians have both the capacity and the will to lead the world in taking up COVID-19 vaccines, as they recognise how important vaccination is, and how it protects and saves lives.”

Greg and Catherine Hughes are big immunisation advocates after the death of their son Riley.

The President of the Australian Medical Association Dr Omar Khorshid said: “It’s fantastic and I think it underpins the success of our vaccination program that is one of the best in the world, which is why we are confident going into this new (COVID) program that Australia knows what to do and our regulator is very good at assessing safety.”

Catherine Hughes who has been a vaccine advocate since she lost her baby Riley to whooping cough in March 2015 said she was thrilled.

“What brilliant news! I am so proud that so many Australian parents are making the important decision to vaccinate their kids. This year families have had a taste of just how terrible uncontrolled infectious diseases can be and it’s brilliant to see everyone taking vaccination so seriously now.

“It’s also a reminder of how sensible most parents are, and shows us that while the anti-vaccine lobby are vocal, they are definitely the minority,” Mrs Hughes said.

The national immunisation coverage rate for all one-year-olds has grown to 94.85 per cent.

Originally published as Vaccination rates hit historic high surpassing 95 per cent gold standard