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Across The Lifespan

Immunisation saves lives, protects communities, and keeps Australia healthy.

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Key Summary

  • Why it matters: Vaccination prevents serious illness, reduces hospitalisations, lowers healthcare costs, and helps children stay in school and adults stay at work.
  • Protects everyone: High immunisation rates create herd immunity, protecting vulnerable people who can’t be vaccinated.
  • Australia’s National Immunisation Program (NIP): Provides free vaccines for infants, children, adolescents, pregnant women, adults, seniors, First Nations peoples, and people with medical risk factors. Free catch-up vaccines are also available for young people and refugees.
  • The risk of declining rates:
    • Immunisation coverage in Australian children has recently dropped below the 95% target.
    • Falling rates increase the chance of outbreaks of diseases like measles and whooping cough.
  • What’s being done: The Immunisation Coalition and government agencies are working on strategies, research, and education campaigns to improve vaccine uptake across all age groups.

About

Why Immunisation Matters

Globally, immunisation (commonly referred to as vaccination) saves millions of lives every year and people of all ages are living longer and healthier as a result. Immunisation also plays a critical role in:

  • Reducing hospitalisations: Prevents serious illnesses that would otherwise require hospital care.
  • Minimising healthcare costs: By preventing disease, immunisation reduces the financial burden on the healthcare system and individuals.
  • Maintaining workforce productivity: Healthy individuals contribute to a robust economy by reducing absenteeism due to illness.
  • Ensuring educational continuity: Immunised children are less likely to miss school, supporting consistent learning.
  • Protecting vulnerable populations: High immunisation rates contribute to herd immunity, safeguarding those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons.

Australia’s National Immunisation Program

Australia is very fortunate to have a comprehensive National Immunisation Program (NIP) that provides free vaccines to:

  • infants and children
  • adolescents
  • pregnant women
  • adults and seniors
  • First Nation’s people
  • people with certain medical conditions that puts them at greater risk of certain diseases.

The program also covers free catch-up vaccinations if they were missed at childhood:

  • for people aged less than 20 years old
  • for refugees and humanitarian entrants of any age.

Please see information about the Australian National Immunisation Program here.

The Consequences of Declining Immunisation Rates

Unfortunately, when individuals choose not to vaccinate, others are put at risk for serious vaccine-preventable diseases regardless of age.

Recent data indicates a decline in vaccination coverage in Australia, particularly among children and adolescents1. For instance, the immunisation rate for five-year-olds fell below the 95% target in 20242.

This decline increases the risk of outbreaks of diseases previously under control, such as measles and whooping cough.

The reasons behind declining immunisation rates is complex. The Immunisation Coalition (IC) has released a white paper on Enhancing Adult Vaccination Coverage Rates in Australia, as well as position papers on Strategies To Improve The 2024 Influenza Vaccine Coverage Rate and Enhancing Influenza Vaccination Uptake In Children. Furthermore, the IC has undertaken several large surveys to better understand the drivers behind declining vaccination rates https://www.immunisationcoalition.org.au/resources/reports-and-other-important-documents/ 

References

  1. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Immunisation coverage rates for all children [Internet]. Canberra: Department of Health and Aged Care; 2024 [cited 2025 May 8]. Available from: https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/immunisation-data/childhood-immunisation-coverage/immunisation-coverage-rates-for-all-children
  2. Worthington B. Childhood vaccination rates falling in Australia since COVID, prompting concern from health experts [Internet]. ABC News; 2025 May 16 [cited 2025 May 8]. Available from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-16/childhood-vaccination-rates-falling-in-australia-since-covid/105296020