Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2025 – Summary

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Key findings on vaccination coverage in children, adolescents and adults in Australia
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This summary highlights key findings from the NCIRS Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2025, allowing for early insights into current vaccination coverage in Australia.

We analysed Australian Immunisation Register data for children, adolescents and adults using well-established methodologies as outlined in our previous 2024 report [PDF].  

These data may differ from estimates published elsewhere, due to differences in calculation methodologies.

The full Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2025 will be published later in 2026.

Key messages – overall population  ​

  • There continue to be concerning and ongoing declines in childhood and adolescent vaccination coverage, with somewhat greater declines observed in adolescents than in younger age groups.
     
  • Levels of on-time childhood vaccination remain substantially lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic, with vaccines due at older ages more likely to be received late compared to vaccines due at younger ages.
     
  • In 2025, 2 in 5 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 remained suboptimal across all age groups in 2025.
     
  • Missing or delaying vaccinations risks serious disease. Enhancing catch-up vaccination activities, addressing barriers to vaccination and optimising equity of access continue to be priorities across all age groups.

Key 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 2025 coverage at this age milestone remained 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 2025, 4 in 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children received the first dose of the MMR vaccine late, and 3 in 10 received the second dose of a DTP-containing vaccine late.
     
  • Coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents also declined, and to a greater degree than in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
     
  • 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. Strategies to improve meningococcal ACWY coverage are needed, given the high risk of meningococcal disease in this population.
     
  • Positive trends in increasing uptake of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults continue. However, awareness of eligibility for this vaccine under the NIP from 50 years of age may be low among communities and healthcare providers, given PCV is not funded for non-Indigenous adults until 70 years of age.
     
  • Influenza vaccination is NIP-funded for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 6 months and over; coverage across all age groups in 2025 was suboptimal.
     
  • Detailed assessment of the drivers of declines in vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, along with targeted strategies to address these, are urgently required.
     
  • Supporting communities to develop innovative and culturally appropriate strategies to address barriers to vaccination and improve equity of access to all NIP-funded vaccines should be a priority across all age groups.

All children

Fully vaccinated coverage

Fully vaccinated coverage for children continued to decrease in 2025 at all three age milestones (12, 24 and 60 months of age). 

The largest decrease has been at 12 months of age, with coverage dropping by 4.3 percentage points since 2020.

In 2025, coverage at 24 months of age was below 90%.

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 compared with levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the last quarter of 2025, on-time coverage of the second dose of DTP-containing vaccine was 9.2 percentage points lower than in the first quarter of 2020. 

On-time coverage of the first dose of MMR vaccine was 12.0 percentage points lower in the last quarter of 2025 than in the first quarter of 2020.

 

All adolescents

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Most adolescent vaccinations are given in school-based programs.

Coverage of at least one dose of HPV vaccine by the 15th birthday continued to decline in 2025, falling below 80% for both girls and boys.  

 

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine 

Meningococcal ACWY vaccination coverage in adolescents turning 17 years of age remained lower than for other adolescent vaccinations, with coverage in 2025 below 75% for girls and below 70% for boys.

 

All adults

Pneumococcal

While adult coverage of PCV has continued to increase year-on-year, it remains suboptimal. In 2025, less than half of adults aged 70 years and over were recorded as having previously received an adult dose of PCV.

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

Fully vaccinated coverage

Fully vaccinated coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continued to decrease in 2025 at the 12- and 60-month age milestones, but remained stable at the 24-month milestone. 

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 compared with levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the last quarter of 2025, on-time coverage of the second dose of DTP-containing vaccine was 8.9 percentage points lower than in the first quarter of 2020. 

On-time coverage of the first dose of MMR vaccine was 13.6 percentage points lower in the last quarter of 2025 than in the first quarter of 2020.

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Coverage for at least one dose of HPV vaccine by the 15th birthday continued to decline for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents in 2025, falling below 75% and 70% for girls and boys, respectively.

 

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine

Meningococcal ACWY vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents turning 17 years of age continued to decrease and was lower than for other adolescent vaccines. In 2025, coverage was below 65% for girls and below 55% for boys.

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults

Pneumococcal

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

PCV vaccination is NIP-funded for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 50 years and over. 

In 2025, just over one-quarter of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 50–69 years and just over half of those aged 70 years and over were recorded as having previously received an adult dose of PCV.  

 

Influenza

All persons

Influenza vaccination coverage across all age groups in 2025 was similar to 2024, but lower than in 2023. 

Annual influenza vaccination is NIP-funded for all 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 2025.

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons

Influenza vaccination coverage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in 2025 was similar to 2024 for those aged 10 years and over, but lower for younger age groups. 

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

 

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