Childhood vaccination rates plunge as expert warns of ‘more deaths’

Shocking new vaccination data has revealed that more than 80,000 children skipped their immunisation jab, with the rate on the decline for a fifth year in a row.

Professor Kristine Macartney, the director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), told ABC the rate is “opening up a chance that they could have one of these terrible diseases that’s otherwise completely preventable”.

The data reveals the number of one-year-old children up to date with their vaccinations was at its lowest in 12 years.

One, two and five-year-old children covered by vaccinations also hit a new devastating milestone – marking a decline for the fifth year in a row.

“Across the board, every age group, we’re continuing to see that vaccine coverage is falling and it’s been falling year-on-year now since 2020,” NCIRS director Kristine Macartney told the ABC.

Vaccination rate data after the Covid-19 pandemic were “alarming” for two-year-old children, Professor Macartney said.

In 2020, 88.4 per cent of children were vaccinated; five years later, that rate has dropped by 3.7 per cent.

Professor Macartney said coverage had dropped for the first time below 90 per cent.

“We will absolutely see more deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases,” she said.

Professor Macartney said the warning was timely after two young babies died from whooping cough in the last two years, for the first time in a decade.

The data also revealed that fewer and fewer teenagers are raising their arms for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that protects them against genital cancers in the cervical, oral and anal areas.

Professor Macartney told the ABC there was no “single reason” behind the decline in vaccinations.

Issues with access and the acceptance of immunisations is among one of many reasons.

For some busy families, scheduling vaccines can take the back seat to other priorities.

Since Covid-19 lockdowns, vaccine fatigue, distrust and misinformation has also increased as a factor according to Professor Macartney.

“I’d ask people to separate that now in their minds and focus on the really strong scientific, valid information about vaccines,” she said.