Vaccination rates low in Coast Hinterland and Surfers Paradise

AS the Gold Coast steadily improves its rates of vaccination across the board, there’s one particular suburb where vaccination rates are worrying low, prompting the state government to call on community leaders to ‘step up.’

VACCINATION rates have dropped in the Gold Coast Hinterland, prompting the Health Minister to call on community leaders to “step up the fight.”

Earlier this month, the Bulletin revealed the Gold Coast had been steadily improving its immunisation rates for children under the age of five, but the latest data shows the Hinterland and Surfers Paradise well below the expected 95 per cent ideal.

According to Australian Immunisation Register statistics for 2017-2018, just 86.2 per cent of children under one year old in the Hinterland were up to date with their vaccinations. Surfers Paradise sat at 88.63 per cent.

The beautiful Gold Coast Hinterland is also one of the area’s worst vaccinated suburbs.

This is also below the Queensland cover rate of 94 per cent.

Conversely, both Robina and Nerang had reached “herd immunity” for their one-year-olds, recording 95.92 per cent and 95.35 per cent respectively. The northern Gold Coast followed closely behind on 94.54 per cent.

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“Herd immunity” is when a community reaches the 95 per cent threshold, helping to prevent the outbreak of particular diseases.

Herd immunity is hitting that 95 per cent overall. Picture: iStock

It can also help to protect those who are unvaccinated because they are too young or are immunosuppressed.

In the ‘Healthy Communities: Immunisation Rates for Children’ report 2016-2017, 90.2 per cent of Hinterland one-year-olds were covered, while 91.7 per cent of one-year-olds in Surfers Paradise were covered.

Minister for Health Steven Miles said he was concerned about the low vaccination rates in the Hinterland and had asked Queensland Health to address the issue.

Queensland Health have been asked to address the low vaccination rates. / AFP PHOTO / — / China OUT

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“Kids in these areas are at risk of serious illnesses caused by vaccine preventable diseases,” Mr Miles said.

“I’m asking Gold Coast leaders to do everything they can to speak up and help convince parents to vaccinate their kids.

“Being unvaccinated is dangerous enough. Being unvaccinated in a suburb or school where there are lots of other unvaccinated children greatly amplifies the risk.

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“I’ve asked Queensland Health to look at new ways of tackling areas of especially low rates of vaccination.”

For children to be fully immunised by one year old, they must have had the five different vaccinations listed in the schedule at two months, four months and six months of age.

After 12 months, children must be vaccinated a further seven times to be fully covered by the time they are five years old.

WHERE DOES YOUR SUBURB SIT?

Gold Coast — North: 94.54%

Broadbeach — Burleigh: 91.49%

Surfers Paradise — 88.63%

Robina — 95.92%

Southport — 92.84%

Ormeau Oxenford — 93.8%

Nerang — 95.35%