Plan to boost WA immunisation rate in wealthy areas

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West Australian authorities are hoping easier access to immunisations and better support for healthcare providers will help it reach a key target of having 95 per cent of children aged under five fully vaccinated.

Health Minister John Day is set to release a five-year immunisation strategy, which includes a 10-point plan to improve the number of children in the state fully protected.

As it stands, 90.9 per cent of WA children aged under five are fully immunised, with officials hoping to increase that to 95 per cent.

The new strategy includes improved communications, more support for research, an increased immunisation workforce capacity, easier access to vaccines and better help for providers.

Health Minister John Day said the plan would include home visits for high-risk children and increased education for midwives.

“We intend to undertake more effective targeting, particularly in Aboriginal communities for example, and also more effective follow-up of parents of young children to ensure they are vaccinated,” he said.

“Our rates of immunisation are fairly good at the moment, but we do want to do better and get them up around 95 per cent.”

Some of the state’s most affluent areas have the lowest immunisation rates, including Claremont and Cottesloe.

Fremantle, Mundaring, Augusta, Margaret River, Busselton and Manjimup also have lower-than-average rates.

“Those areas do need to be targeted in particular but this strategy does apply on a statewide basis,” Mr Day said.