NSW Annual Immunisation Coverage Report, 2009

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Immunisation Science

Background:

• The Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) provides crucial data for monitoring vaccination trends.
• Understanding immunisation coverage is vital for maintaining herd immunity and preventing vaccine-preventable diseases.
• This report serves as the first in an annual series to track immunisation trends in New South Wales (NSW).

Purpose of the Study:

• To document trends in NSW immunisation coverage using ACIR data up to 2009.
• To assess coverage for childhood, adult (influenza, pneumococcal), and adolescent (HPV, dTpa, varicella) vaccines.
• To establish baseline data for future comparisons and monitoring of immunisation progress.

Main Methods:

• Utilised data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR).
• Incorporated data from the NSW Health Survey and NSW School Immunisation Program.
• Calculated population coverage measures for various vaccine types and age groups.

Main Results:

• Immunisation targets met for children at 12 and 24 months, but not at 5 years.
• Delayed vaccine receipt identified as an issue for vaccines recommended for Aboriginal children.
• Increasing pneumococcal vaccination in the elderly, though lower than influenza coverage; varied adolescent vaccine coverage.

Conclusions:

• This analysis provides essential baseline immunisation data for NSW.
• Future reports can use this baseline to monitor improvements in vaccine coverage.
• Achieving immunisation at the earliest appropriate age should be a public health priority.