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Why is immunisation coverage measured?

Immunisation coverage is measured to identify groups at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases and to evaluate the effectiveness of programmes designed to increase coverage.

Why is high coverage important?

High coverage protects not only the health of an individual but protects the community as well. High coverage can prevent infections spreading and therefore protect vulnerable members of the population, such as the very young, the very old, or those with underlying conditions that increase their risk from infectious diseases (ie, the immunocompromised).

Immunisation data

Prior to 2005, immunisation coverage was measured using coverage surveys. The last survey was in 2005 – the National Childhood Immunisation Coverage Survey 2005. The results showed 77 percent of children were fully immunised at the age of two years old.

From 2005 to 2023 immunisation coverage was measured using data from New Zealand’s National Immunisation Register (NIR). At the end of 2023, the NIR was retired and was replaced with the new Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR).

From 2024, immunisation coverage is measured using data from the AIR. The AIR captures a greater number of eligible tamariki compared to the NIR, which means a drop in coverage is expected.

You can find more information about AIR here.

National and regional immunisation data

Immunisation coverage for children in New Zealand at 24 months of age is 77.8 percent for the three-month period ending 31 March 2024.

Immunisation coverage is measured at ‘milestone ages’ using Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR) data. The milestone ages are six months, eight months, 12 months (one year), 18 months, 24 months (two years), 54 months (four and a half years) and five years of age.

The following tables show the immunisation status of children who turned the milestone age during a three-month or 12-month reporting period ending 31 March 2024 and who have completed their age-appropriate immunisations.

2020/21 data: Please note a data quality issue affected how a small number of immunisation events were recorded following the October 2020 Schedule change. A fix has since been applied and these are now reporting correctly, however you may see slight variations in the Q2 and Q3 2020/21 coverage rates as a result.

National immunisation data - summary


National immunisation coverage – three-month reporting period ending 31 March 2024


The table below shows the immunisation coverage of children who turned one of the milestone ages during a three-month period from 1 January to 31 March 2024 and who have completed their age-appropriate immunisations.

 

Milestone Age 

Number Eligible 

Fully Immunised for age 

Declines 

No. 

% 

No. 

% 

6 month 

14,563

8,922 

61.3% 

670 

4.6% 

8 month 

14,709 

11,158

75.9% 

798 

5.4% 

12 month (1 year) 

14,428 

12,052 

83.5% 

824 

5.7% 

18 month 

14,277 

9,161

60.0% 

974

6.4%

24 month (2 years) 

15,493 

12,051

77.8% 

1,052 

6.8% 

54 month (4.5 years) 

16,814

9,837 

58.5% 

1,010 

6.0% 

5 year 

16,515 

12,267

74.3% 

1,078

6.5% 

National Immunisation Coverage – 12-month reporting period ending 31 March 2024

The table below shows the immunisation coverage of children who turned one of the milestone ages during the 12-month period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, and who have completed their age-appropriate immunisations.

Milestone Age

Number Eligible

Fully Immunised for age

Declines

No.

%

No.

%

6 month

58,325

37,478

64.3%

2,728

4.7%

8 month

58,835

46,499

79.0%

3,087

5.2%

12 month (1 year)

59,686

50,253

84.2%

3,268

5.5%

18 month

62,461

40,118

64.2%

3,800

6.1%

24 month
(2 years)

65,561

51,042

77.9%

4,183

6.4%

54 month (4.5 years)

65,902

40,697

61.8%

3,969

6.0%

5 year

65,652

48,563

74.0%

4,347

6.6%

In the tables above:

  • ‘Number eligible’ is the number of children who turned one of the milestone ages in the three-month or 12-month reporting period.
  • ‘Fully immunised for age’ is the number of eligible children who have completed all of their age-appropriate immunisations by the time they turned the milestone age.
  • 'Declines' is a count of individuals who have declined any one vaccination.

National and regional data immunisation data in detail

Detailed immunisation coverage data for New Zealand and for each of the 20 districts are in the spreadsheets below.

Milestone age data is presented by ethnicity and level of deprivation for three-month and 12-month reporting periods.

From 1 July 2012 coverage figures reported in the following tables include pneumococcal vaccine.

From 1 January 2024 ethnicity coverage of “NZ European” and “Other” ethnic groups merged and created the “European or Other” group.

From 1 April 2024 the “opt-offs” category has been removed as the AIR only reports on “active individuals”. 

 

Immunisation coverage data – three-month reporting period

Immunisation coverage data – three-month reporting period

Immunisation coverage data – 12-month reporting period

Immunisation coverage data – 12-month reporting period

 

Immunisation coverage data is reported quarterly. The next update will be August 2024.