Immunisation Survey

 

The topic of immunisation has been circulating around in the media over the last few days, and some of it has been a bit misleading...

A recent Herald Sun article and piece on the Sunrise program implies that in the Yarra Ranges 236 children aged five years had not had any vaccinations at all. These statistics do not take into account the parents who chose to delay the vaccinations admistered to four-year-old children until after they had turned six, or the children who had received part of the full vaccination program.

The figures quoted were obtained from the National Health Performance Authority and were calculated using information relating only to the 2011-2012 period.

The latest Department of Health quarterly statistics indicate that over the past 12 months our Immunisation team has achieved 90% coverage in the three age groups we are tested on. We’re hopeful that this is an indication that more residents are choosing to follow Victorian recommendations.

The recent media coverage highlights the continuing discussion around immunisation and we are keen to hear your thoughts on the issue.

We have re-opened a survey around immunisation services in the area – a survey we have used in the past to gather the public’s thoughts and experiences in a safe, unbiased and confidential way.

If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please fill in the online survey here