Peer-reviewed article
Annual immunisation coverage report 2024
Brynley Hull, Alexandra Hendry, Kristine Macartney, Frank Beard ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This report analyses Australian Immunisation Register data as at 2 February 2025, with a focus on 2024 and trends from earlier years. It covers children, adolescents and adults, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Childhood and adolescent vaccination coverage fell again in 2024, continuing a decline since 2020. Adult coverage was mixed but consistently below what is desirable. The authors call for more research on the causes and for culturally appropriate strategies to raise uptake.
Key points
- Fully vaccinated coverage for all children fell between 2023 and 2024 at 12 months (92.8% to 91.6%), 24 months (90.8% to 89.4%) and 60 months (93.3% to 92.7%).
- HPV vaccine coverage by age 15 fell in 2024 to 81.1% in girls and 77.9% in boys, down 3.1 and 3.9 percentage points from 2023.
- For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, fully vaccinated coverage also fell at all three milestones (for example 86.7% at 24 months), but meningococcal B vaccine coverage rose, with third-dose coverage going from 71.7% to 75.0%.
- HPV coverage by age 15 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents was 76.7% for girls and 69.2% for boys, and meningococcal ACWY coverage at age 16 was 52.7% for girls and 47.1% for boys.
- Influenza vaccination coverage decreased in 2024 across all adult age groups, while adult 13vPCV coverage increased.
Limitations
The report describes coverage levels and trends from register data and does not test why coverage is falling; the authors say more research is needed on contributing factors, especially for adolescents and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The abstract does not give full details of the methods or of the timeliness and provider-setting data.
Abstract
We analysed Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) data for children, adolescents and adults as at 2 February 2025, concentrating primarily on National Immunisation Program (NIP)–funded vaccines. Our focus was on the calendar year 2024 and trends from previous years. This report provides comprehensive analyses and interpretation of vaccination coverage data to inform immunisation policy and programs in Australia. Along with the results outlined below, the report also includes a range of other data for vaccines given across the lifespan, including data on timeliness and vaccination provider settings. Population overall Children Fully vaccinated coverage decreased between 2023 and 2024 at all three standard age milestones: 12 months (from 92.8% to 91.6%); 24 months (from 90.8% to 89.4%); and 60 months (from 93.3% to 92.7%). This follows the 1.2–2.0 percentage point decrease in vaccination coverage uptake at these three milestones between the 2020 and 2023 reports. A combination of acceptance and access factors have contributed to this ongoing decline. Adolescents Coverage of a dose of HPV vaccine by the fifteenth birthday decreased in 2024 to 81.1% in girls and 77.9% boys; these values were 3.1 and 3.9 percentage points lower, respectively, than in 2023 and 5.5 and 7.0 percentage points lower than in 2020. In girls and boys turning 15 years of age in 2024, respectively 83.4% and 80.9% had received an adolescent dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine by 31 December 2024. Overall, 68.5% of girls and 64.4% of boys turning 16 years of age in 2024 had received an adolescent dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine by 31 December 2024. Adults Zoster vaccination coverage (one dose of Zostavax or two doses of Shingrix given at least 4 weeks apart) was 45.9% for adults aged ≥ 65 years in 2024. Coverage of an adult dose of 13vPCV was 38.6% for adults turning 71 years of age in 2024, which was 1.0 percentage point higher than in 2023; and 41.5% for adults aged ≥ 70 years, which was 6.9 percentage points higher than in 2023. Influenza vaccination coverage decreased in 2024 across all adult age groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Children Fully vaccinated coverage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children decreased between 2023 and 2024 at all three age milestones: 12 months (from 89.7% to 89.2%), 24 months (from 87.8% to 86.7%) and 60 months (from 95.0% to 94.4%), following a 2.0–3.4 percentage point decrease between the 2020 and 2023 reports. However, coverage of meningococcal B vaccine, which was introduced onto the NIP for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in July 2020, was higher in 2024 than 2023: namely, 83.0% versus 81.0% for the first dose; 80.9% versus 80.0% for the second dose; and 75.0% versus 71.7% for the third dose. Adolescents Coverage of a dose of HPV vaccine by the fifteenth birthday decreased in 2024 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents to 76.7% for girls and 69.2% for boys; these values were 4.2 and 5.8 percentage points lower, respectively, than in 2023 and 11.1 and 13.8 percentage points lower than in 2020. In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and boys turning 15 years of age in 2024, respectively 79.3% and 73.0% had received an adolescent dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine by 31 December 2024. Coverage of an adolescent dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine received by 31 December 2024 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents turning 16 years of age in 2024 was 52.7% for girls and 47.1% for boys. Adults Zoster vaccination coverage (one dose of Zostavax or two doses of Shingrix given at least 4 weeks apart) was 42.2% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged ≥ 65 years in 2024. Coverage of an adult dose of 13vPCV was 48.7% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults turning 71 years of age in 2024, which was 5.7 percentage points higher than in 2023, and 47.8% for those aged ≥ 70 years, which was 8.1 percentage points higher than in 2023. However, it was only 23.2% for those aged 50–69 years. Influenza vaccination coverage decreased in 2024 across all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult age groups. Conclusions There have been concerning and persistent downward trends in childhood and adolescent vaccination coverage in Australia since 2020, with further declines in 2024. The picture for adult coverage is more mixed, but consistently suboptimal across all vaccines. National surveys of parents of young children and adults have identified a range of access and acceptance barriers that may be contributing to observed declines in coverage. More research is needed to delineate contributory factors, particularly among adolescents and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This can then be used to inform evidence-based and culturally appropriate strategies to increase vaccine uptake and coverage equity. The National Immunisation Strategy for Australia 2025–2030 provides a comprehensive framework to guide such measures and improve coverage – and hence the protection provided by vaccine programs – against disease.