The Bad Guys Are Losing Their Grip!
‘Concerning decline’ in childhood vaccination as Australian Government seeks input on new immunisation strategy
After steady increases in vaccination rates over the past 25 years, Australia is now experiencing “concerning declines in childhood vaccination coverage,” which the government is seeking to reverse with a new national immunisation strategy.
A discussion paper informing the new strategy states that “downward trends in childhood coverage have persisted since June 2021.” From a high of 95% coverage for children aged one-to-five in 2020, coverage declined to 93% of one-year-olds, 91% of two-year-olds, and 94% of five-year-olds as at December 2023. There have been “even steeper declines in First Nations children.”
Underlying the decline in childhood vaccination coverage is a shift in community sentiment that appears to have been exacerbated by Covid, according to research commissioned by the Department of Health (2022).
