Vaccination coverage for Australian children and adolescents has fallen for a fifth consecutive year, with data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) showing declining rates across multiple age groups and vaccine types.
The decline has occurred alongside a significant increase in cases of whooping cough and measles, according to health authorities and disease surveillance data.
National Vaccination Coverage Statistics
According to the NCIRS 2025 Annual Immunisation Coverage Report preview, based on data from the Australian Immunisation Register, the proportion of fully vaccinated children decreased across all three age milestones:
- 12-month-olds: 90.5% fully vaccinated, down from 91.6% in 2024 and 94.8% in 2020.
- 24-month-olds: 88.4% fully vaccinated, down from 89.4% in 2024 and 92.1% in 2020.
- 60-month-olds: 92.5% fully vaccinated, down from 92.7% in 2024 and 94.8% in 2020.
The proportion of children receiving vaccinations within 30 days of the recommended age also declined sharply:
- Second dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccinations: 79.7%.
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine: 64.8%.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler described the decline as alarming. The government is allocating $600 million to supply 31 vaccines covering 18 preventable diseases through the National Immunisation Program, as stated by Butler.
Adolescent Vaccination Declines
Coverage levels for human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal disease vaccines also decreased:
- HPV vaccine (at least one dose by age 15): 78.7% of girls and 75.6% of boys, down from 81.1% and 77.9% in 2024.
- Meningococcal ACWY vaccine (by age 17): 73.0% of girls and 69.2% of boys, compared to 73.4% and 69.3% in 2024.
The NCIRS report noted that missing or delaying vaccinations poses risks of serious disease. It identified priorities including enhancing catch-up vaccination activities, addressing vaccination barriers, and optimizing equitable access across all age groups.
Data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Populations
Similar patterns of decline were observed among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children:
- Full vaccination coverage rates were 89.0% for 12-month-olds, 86.7% for 24-month-olds, and 93.8% for 60-month-olds.
- Timely delivery of the second DTP-containing vaccine occurred in only 71.9% of children, and the MMR vaccine in 55.9%.
HPV vaccination rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents were 72.6% for girls and 66.8% for boys. Meningococcal ACWY coverage fell to 60.8% for girls and 54.9% for boys.
The NCIRS report emphasized the need for a detailed assessment of drivers of declines and targeted, culturally appropriate strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Disease Resurgence
Australia is experiencing its highest incidence of whooping cough (pertussis) in 35 years. Data from the Australian Centre for Disease Control indicated 57,257 confirmed whooping cough cases in 2024, with 37,663 affecting infants and children up to 14 years old. An additional 25,272 notifications were confirmed in 2025. New South Wales and Queensland accounted for the majority of these cases, according to the Productivity Commission and the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
Measles cases reached 181 in 2025, compared to 57 in 2024. New South Wales had recorded 37 cases this year as of the reporting period, primarily in the Sydney region, and health authorities in New South Wales have issued warnings about an elevated risk of measles, according to state health notifications.
Contributing Factors Identified by Experts
Multiple factors have been cited by experts and reports as contributors to the decline:
Vaccine Hesitancy and Misinformation
Professor Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services, stated during a radio interview on 3AW Mornings that the volume of health information during the COVID-19 era has contributed to what he described as "fatigue" among parents. He said, "We just want people to do the simple things, particularly maintaining high vaccination rates to keep them under control."
Professor Margie Danchin, a paediatrician and vaccinology expert at The Murdoch Children's Research Institute, stated that declining childhood vaccination coverage has reached a critical point. She identified increased vaccine hesitancy between 2024 and 2025, influenced by international trends.
Catherine Hughes, co-founder of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, who lost her son to whooping cough in 2015, expressed concern over the decline. She highlighted the proliferation of misinformation about vaccines on social media.
Access and Practical Barriers
According to Professor Danchin, a larger group of partially vaccinated children have parents who report difficulties affording or securing timely vaccination appointments, despite vaccines being free in Australia. Factors cited include:
- Difficulty securing vaccination appointments, cited by one in four parents with partially vaccinated children.
- Reduced school attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting school-based immunization programs.
- Healthcare workforce shortages.
- The change from a two-dose to a one-dose HPV vaccination schedule, reducing opportunities for catch-up.
- Rise in homeschooling and student absenteeism.
- Digital literacy issues with electronic consent forms.
Regional Disparities
Analysis by the Grattan Institute indicated a decline in the proportion of one-year-olds fully vaccinated over the past five years. As of September 30, 2025, 92% of one-year-olds were fully vaccinated, a decrease from 95% in 2020. The percentage of regions meeting the national target for one-year-old vaccination fell from 56% five years ago to just 18%.
The most significant declines occurred in areas with previously lower vaccination rates. Regions with the highest vaccination rates saw a 1.3 percentage point decrease, while areas with the lowest rates experienced a 5.7 percentage point drop between 2020 and 2025. Declining areas are diverse, encompassing urban and rural, wealthy and less affluent communities across all states, including Bankstown (Sydney), Keilor (Melbourne), Gascoyne (Western Australia), Nerang (Queensland), Barkly (Northern Territory), and Meander Valley and West Tamar (Tasmania).
Falsification of Vaccination Records
An investigation has found that some parents have engaged healthcare professionals to falsify Medicare records to enroll unvaccinated children in childcare and claim government payments, according to reports on the investigation. This practice has been documented in anti-vaccine Facebook groups with over 40,000 members, where parents reportedly connect with doctors or nurses who charge fees to falsely register immunization schedules on the Australian Immunisation Register without administering vaccinations, according to the investigation's findings. Legal cases cited include 2021 charges against Perth nurse Christina Hartmann Benz for fraudulently recording a vaccine (later dropped) and the suspension of Victorian Dr. Denes Borsos' registration for issuing fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine exemption documents.
Positive Developments
Adult coverage for the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) increased. In 2025, 48.0% of adults aged 70 years and older were covered, up from 41.5% in 2024. Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, PCV coverage was 27.0% for those aged 50-69 years and 55.3% for those aged 70 and older.
Influenza vaccination rates in 2025 remained similar to 2024 across most age groups and populations, with the exception of a drop among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under 10 years of age.
Government Response
Federal and state governments have developed a new national vaccination strategy, agreed upon in 2024. The strategy focuses on building trust in vaccines, strengthening the immunization workforce, utilizing data for targeted efforts, and increasing accountability, according to the Grattan Institute analysis.
The full NCIRS 2025 Annual Immunisation Coverage Report is scheduled for release in 2026. The summary is publicly available through the NCIRS website.