Vaccine coverage for children and adolescents in Australia have plummeted. This disturbing new trend should be something that worries everyone who cares about avoiding outbreaks of entirely preventable diseases. Recent data shows that fewer than 75 percent of two-year-olds in high poverty areas have completed all their required vaccinations. That’s a huge drop compared to past years. Experts are still deeply concerned that these alarming statistics present a dire threat to herd immunity nationwide.
Dr. Gary Grohmann, a former national president of the Canadian Public Health Association, went public with his disgust. He pointed out that the proportion of children fully vaccinated by age two has dropped from 92.1% to 89.4%. In the same way, vaccination coverage for children five years old decreased from 94.8% to 92.7%. Immunisation rates have drastically dropped for many other important vaccines as well. This extends to vaccines for pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, and measles.
Dr. Grohmann called the state of affairs “absolutely alarming.” He underscored the important part that medical professionals can play in educating parents on why vaccinations are so critical. It’s super essential, though, that they receive the message that vaccination is super important, individual vaccination is super important and protects the entire community. And just as importantly, they’re efficient and safe,” he added.
Declining Rates Raise Concerns
There are indications that the drop in vaccination rates has been even more severe among adolescents. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, once celebrated as an important cancer prevention breakthrough, has seen a dramatic turn in vaccination uptake in the last five years. For boys, the rate decreased from 84.9% to 77.9%, and for girls the rate decreased from 86.6% to 81.1%. As Dr. Frank Beard indicated, this decline has been largely fueled by an increase in school avoidance since the pandemic.
Dr. Beard said, “While there has always been a trend of decline since the pandemic, this is absolutely alarming. He called for a holistic approach like the one needed to address the climate crisis to turn around these disturbing trends. He continued, “Vaccination coverage is moving in the wrong direction. To reverse this trend, we need a multi-faceted approach to increase vaccination.”
The stakes of these declining rates are high. Dr. Grohmann provided caution over the risk of future disease outbreaks within Australia. Without large-scale intervention, diseases such as measles would circulate, causing preventable deaths. Unless these laws are passed, we will see further spread of disease, especially measles,” he warned.
Public Perception and Barriers to Vaccination
That’s according to a recent poll of 2,000 adults that uncovered a shocking phenomenon. Almost 60% of respondents identified experiencing distress as a key obstacle to getting their children vaccinated. Among parents with unvaccinated children, nearly half (46.7%) reported they would not feel guilty if their child got a vaccine preventable disease.
Sharing a deeply personal story about vaccination’s effects to families, Bruce Langoulant moved us to tears. In his case, his daughter Ashleigh caught pneumococcal as an infant and now lives with a disability because of it. The world knew that Ash was the unvaccinated child. We were forced into it, and 35 years later, we’re all still living with the effects. Langoulant’s story is a powerful reminder of what happens when vaccination rates fall too low.
“And this, this is what happens if you don’t vaccinate,” he said. Drawing from his own personal experience, he highlighted the lifelong impact that vaccine-preventable disease can have on individuals and families.
Experts Call for Action
Both Dr. Grohmann and Dr. Beard agree that stronger public health measures are necessary to address the declining vaccination rates. Fifth, they advocate for strong awareness campaign. These strategies will help you engage and educate parents and families through two-way dialogue on vaccine safety and efficacy.
Dr. Grohmann emphasized that herd immunity can only be reached with a vaccination rate of about 95%. He added, “If you’re starting to get above the 80 per cent [mark], then it absolutely is getting critical.” The message from public health experts is clear: immediate action must be taken to reverse this troubling trend.
