Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2024 – interim data release

Key take-home messages – overall population  ​

• There have been concerning and ongoing declines in childhood vaccination coverage since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with somewhat greater declines in coverage in adolescents than in other age groups.
   
• Levels of on-time childhood vaccination remain substantially lower than before the pandemic, with vaccines due at older ages more likely to be received late compared to vaccines due at younger ages.
   
• In 2024, 1 in 3 children received the first dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine late, while 1 in 5 children received the second dose of a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine late.
   
• Two out of 10 adolescents had not received a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine dose by 15 years of age, and 3 out of 10 had not received an adolescent dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine by 17 years of age.
   
• Influenza vaccination is funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for children aged 6 months to less than 5 years and adults aged 65 years and over; however, coverage was suboptimal across all age groups in 2024.
   
• Missing or delaying vaccinations risks serious disease. Enhancing catch-up vaccination activities, addressing barriers to vaccination and optimising equity of access should be priorities across all age groups.

Key take-home messages – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

• The achievement of high vaccination coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by 60 months of age has been a success in Australia; however, in 2024 coverage at this milestone dipped just below the national target of 95%.
   
• While the declines in on-time childhood vaccination that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have plateaued, levels remain lower than they were pre-pandemic.
   
• In 2024, 1 in 2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children received the first dose of the MMR vaccine late, and 1 in 4 received the second dose of a DTP-containing vaccine late.
   
• Coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents has also declined, and to a greater degree than in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, since the COVID-19 pandemic.
   
• Three out of 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents had not received an HPV vaccine dose by 15 years of age, and 4 out of 10 had not received an adolescent dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine by 17 years of age.
   
• Positive trends in increasing uptake of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults continue.
   
• Influenza vaccination is NIP-funded for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 6 months and over, but coverage decreased across all age groups in 2024.
   
• Detailed assessment of, and responses to, the drivers of declines in vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are urgently required.
   
• Supporting communities to develop innovative approaches to addressing barriers to vaccination and improving equity of access to all NIP-funded vaccines should be priorities across all age groups.

Fully vaccinated coverage

Fully vaccinated coverage for children continued to decrease in 2024 at all three age milestones (12, 24 and 60 months of age). 

The largest decrease was at 12 months of age, with coverage dropping by 3.2 percentage points since 2020.

Coverage at 24 months of age dropped below 90% for the first time since 2016.

Coverage at 60 months of age remained higher than at the other age milestones. 

On-time vaccination

Levels of on-time vaccination 
(i.e. within 30 days of the recommended age) remained lower in young children than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the last quarter of 2024, on-time coverage of the second dose of DTP-containing vaccine was 6.3 percentage points lower than in the first quarter of 2020. 

On-time coverage of the first dose of MMR vaccine was 11.4 percentage points lower in the last quarter of 2024 than in the first quarter of 2020. 

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine

Coverage of adolescent meningococcal ACWY vaccine in adolescents turning 17 years of age has also decreased in recent years and was lower than for other adolescent vaccines.

Pneumococcal

While adult coverage of 13vPCV has continued to increase year-on-year, it remains suboptimal. In 2024, less than half of adults aged 70 years and over were recorded as having previously received an adult dose of 13vPCV.

Fully vaccinated coverage

Fully vaccinated coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continued to decrease in 2024 at all three age milestones (12, 24 and 60 months of age). 

The largest decrease was at 24 months of age, with coverage dropping by 4.5 percentage points since 2020.

Coverage at 12 and 24 months of age was below 90%.

Coverage was higher at 60 months of age than at the other age milestones.

On-time vaccination

Levels of on-time vaccination (i.e. within 30 days of the recommended age) remained lower in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the last quarter of 2024, on-time coverage of the second dose of DTP-containing vaccine was 7.8 percentage points lower than in the first quarter of 2020. 

On-time coverage of the first dose of MMR vaccine was 14.2 percentage points lower in the last quarter of 2024 than in the first quarter of 2020.

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine

Coverage of adolescent meningococcal ACWY vaccine in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents turning 17 years of age has also decreased in recent years. Strategies to improve meningococcal ACWY coverage are needed, given the high risk of meningococcal disease in this population.

Pneumococcal

Coverage of 13vPCV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults has increased substantially year-on-year, but there remains room for further improvement. 

This is particularly the case for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 50–69 years. 13vPCV vaccination is NIP-funded for this cohort, but awareness of this among communities and healthcare providers may be lower given the vaccine is not funded for non-Indigenous adults in this age group. 

All persons

Influenza vaccination coverage was lower in all age groups in 2024 than in 2023. 

Annual influenza vaccination is NIP-funded for children aged 6 months to less than 5 years and adults aged 65 years and over. However, less than one-third of children and just under two-thirds of adults in these age groups received an influenza vaccine in 2024.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons

Influenza vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples was lower in all age groups in 2024 than in 2023. 

Annual influenza vaccination is funded for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 6 months and over.