The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance Australia released new interim data earlier this year which shows a pattern of decreasing vaccination rates for children.

According to NCRIS data in 2020, 92.1 per cent of two-year old children were fully vaccinated, compared to 89.4 per cent in 2024.

Western NSW is similar to the national average, with 92 per cent of two-year olds fully vaccinated and 96 per cent of five-year olds vaccinated.

Deputy Chair the Royal Australian College of General Practictioner NSW and ACT Max Mollenkopf, said vaccine fatigue could be contributing to the decline in rates.

"We're seeing more and more people who just stopped getting flu shots and COVID shots because they're just tired of getting vaccines," said the Newcastle based GP.

"It's an area where it's getting increasingly challenging to get people to receive shots as vaccine fatigue sets in."

Vaccine hesitancy was another factor Dr Mollenkopf said contributed to the decline.

"Children don't decide whether they'll get vaccinated, it's their parents and careers, so as we see vaccine hesitancy rise, we see falling rates of childhood vaccine rates."

Dr Max Mollenkopf says vaccine fatigue could be contributing to falling rates. [IMAGE: healthpages.wiki]

But he stressed the importance of making sure people stay up to date with their vaccinations.

"My experience of rural families is that they are extremely proactive about protecting their kids, and they'll try really hard to get it all done," said Dr Mollenkopf.

"While it can feel exhausting getting vaccines, it comes from a place of science, and it comes from a place of trying to prevent children getting sick.

"And we've been incredibly successful in managing certain diseases over the years because we've managed to maintain high vaccination rates."

Registered nurse with Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service (CAHS) Rachel Kim says a majority of parents in the regional community are proactive about immunising their child, however regularly updating health information is important.

"Most of our local families have remained consistent with childhood immunisations, and we’ve been working closely with parents to keep kids up to date through our regular vaccination appointments and flu clinic," she said.

"I’ve also been reminding families and carers about their routine childhood vaccinations, but one of the challenges is that sometimes people aren’t contactable because their phone numbers have changed.

"Please make sure your local GP has your current phone number on your child’s file. It makes it much easier for us to stay in touch and send important reminders for your children’s health."

"I’ve also noticed quite a few young patients being brought in by carers for catch-up vaccinations as they get ready for preschool, which is okay, but ideally, we want to see kids staying on track with their vaccination schedule from the start.

"So if the child is due, please don’t delay vaccinations. It’s much safer to keep children protected on time."

Vaccination is a front-of-mind issue, as four major hospitals in Queensland were forced to pause elective surgeries due to an influx of infectious presentations with 250 people hospitalised across the state last week with influenza, with 190 hospitalised with COVID-19.

Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls urged Queenslanders to stay up-to-date with their vaccines.

"My understanding is that 90 per cent of those people who are ending up in hospital at the moment are not vaccinated," he said.

"The issue with it is that not enough people are getting [the vaccination] at the moment."

For more information on child and adolescent vaccine schedules, you can visit NSW Health.