Sustained, coordinated action at all levels of healthcare required to improve childhood vaccination rates

The number of fully vaccinated West Australian kids has dropped below the national threshold for all age groups, the nation’s leading immunisation body has revealed.

And the organisation says it will take a co-ordinated effort from health providers to reverse the declining rates, which all sit under the Australian target of 95 per cent.

Latest figures from the Australian Immunisation Register show 90.6 per cent of one-year-olds, 87.8 per cent of two-year-olds and 92.1 per cent of five-year-olds are fully immunised per the National Immunisation Program Schedule

Further analysis reveals of the eight immunisation types scheduled for two-year-olds, coverage is lowest for the jabs that protect against measles and whooping cough — both below 90 per cent.

Dwindling vaccination rates have contributed to the sixfold increase in measles cases across the State and a soaring number of whooping cough cases, the worst in nearly a decade.

Reduced jab uptake overall has also contributed to a horrific flu season in WA, with a record caseload exceeding 27,000 and fears cases won’t peak until the school holidays.

Fewer than one in five West Aussie children aged five to 14 have had a flu jab this season, despite primary school age children being super spreaders of influenza.

The combination of eroding trust in healthcare and barriers to vaccination across multiple areas presents the medical profession with a formidable task.

But researchers from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, the University of Sydney, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne have identified several practical strategies to help improve childhood vaccine uptake.

The NCIRS’ inaugural National Vaccination Insights survey found out-of-pocket costs, limited appointment availability, fewer opportunities to discuss vaccination with healthcare providers, and eroding trust in medicine were among the barriers stopping parents and caregivers from vaccinating their kids on time.

Using those insights, the researchers pinpointed areas of action to address these issues, like improving access to immunisations by increasing the bulk billing of vaccination appointments or delivering jabs after work hours in a range of settings like the GP, community clinics or pharmacies.

To support education and advocacy, healthcare providers could be funded for dedicated time for conversations about vaccination or immunisation specific communication training could be embedded in professional development.

And improved sharing of local immunisation coverage data with primary health networks, providers and public health units could help inform program planning and to improve uptake.

The research, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, said implementing such strategies will require “changes at the policy and funding level”.

“These strategies are grounded in evidence and shaped by the voice of community members, healthcare professionals and policymakers — giving us confidence in their relevance and effectiveness,” NCIRS social science research fellow and lead author Kasia Bolsewicz said.

With no silver bullet in sight to fix the problem, the researchers are urging policymakers to make the changes that will allow coordinated action across multiple sectors of healthcare.