Why is it 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 is important to protect not only the health of an individual but to protect the community as well. High coverage reduces the spread of disease to those who have not been vaccinated either by choice or because of medical reasons, such as children with leukaemia whilst receiving treatment.

Coverage data

Since 2005 coverage has been measured using data from New Zealand’s National Immunisation Register (NIR). Detailed national and DHB immunisation coverage data is available.


Before the NIR was built, 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.

National and regional immunisation data

Immunisation coverage for New Zealand children at 24 months of age is 83.2% percent for the three-month period ending 31 March 2023.

Immunisation coverage is measured at ‘milestone ages’ using National Immunisation Register (NIR) 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 coverage for children who turned the milestone age during a three-month or 12-month reporting period ending 31 March 2023 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 previous Q2 and Q3 2020/21 coverage rates as a result.

National immunisation coverage data tables


National immunisation coverage – three-month reporting period ending 31 March 2023


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 2023 and who have completed their age-appropriate immunisations.

 

Milestone Age

Number Eligible

Fully Immunised for age

Opt-Offs

Declines

No.

%

No.

%

No.

%

6 month

14,523

9,816

67.6%

98

0.7%

708

4.9%

8 month

14,456

12,084

83.6%

92

0.6%

751

5.2%

12 month (1 year)

14,915

13,123

88.0%

80

0.5%

787

5.3%

18 month

15,756

10,692

67.9%

101

0.6%

931

5.9%

24 month (2 years)

15,300

12,723

83.2%

68

0.4%

1,034

6.8%

54 month (4.5 years)

15,412

9,807

63.6%

127

0.8%

1,044

6.8%

5 year

15,284

12,382

81.0%

126

0.8%

1,047

6.9%

National Immunisation Coverage – 12-month reporting period ending 31 March 2023

The table below shows the immunisation coverage of children who turned one of the milestone ages during the 12-month period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, and who have completed their age-appropriate immunisations.

Milestone Age

Number Eligible

Fully Immunised for age

Opt-Offs

Declines

No.

%

No.

%

No.

%

6 month

59,706

40,830

68.4%

 360

0.6%

3,111

5.2%

8 month

60,494

50,774

83.9%

 359

0.6%

3,235

5.3%

12 month (1 year)

62,576

55,184

88.2%

 383

0.6%

3,396

5.4%

18 month

62,059

41,769

67.3%

 391

0.6%

4,017

6.5%

24 month
(2 years)

60,178

49,640

82.5%

 391

0.6%

4,078

6.8%

54 month (4.5 years)

61,678

40,576

65.8%

 464

0.8%

4,261

6.9%

5 year

62,801

50,800

80.9%

 471

0.7%

4,141

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.
  • ‘Opt-offs' is a count of individuals who have opted off the NIR.
  • 'Declines' is a count of individuals who have declined any one vaccination.

National and regional data spreadsheets

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.

Immunisation coverage data – three-month reporting period

Immunisation coverage data – 12-month reporting period

 

Immunisation coverage data is reported quarterly. The next update will be August 2023.