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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 results showed 77 percent of children were fully immunised at the age of two years old.

National Childhood Immunisation Coverage Survey 2005 - Ministry of Health (external link)

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).

National Immunisation Register (NIR) (external link)

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.

National and regional immunisation data

Immunisation coverage for children in New Zealand at 24 months of age is 77.0 percent for the three-month period ending 31 December 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 December 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 December 2024


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

 

Milestone Age 

Number Eligible 

Fully Immunised for age 

Declines 

No. 

% 

No. 

% 

6 month 

14,492

9,615

66.3% 

807

5.6% 

8 month 

14,290

11,211

78.5% 

890

6.2% 

12 month (1 year) 

14,833

12,374

83.4% 

969

6.5% 

18 month 

14,519

9,109

62.7% 

1,128

7.8%

24 month (2 years) 

14,891

11,462

77.0% 

1,216

8.2% 

54 month (4.5 years) 

15,990

9,731

60.9% 

1,209

7.6% 

5 year 

16,626

11,839

71.2% 

1,155

6.9% 

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

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

Milestone Age

Number Eligible

Fully Immunised for age

Declines

No.

%

No.

%

6 month

58,605

38,258

65.3%

2,917

5.0%

8 month

58,782

46,036

78.3%

3,317

5.6%

12 month (1 year)

58,645

48,764

83.2%

3,629

6.2%

18 month

59,352

37,254

62.8%

4,165

7.0%

24 month
(2 years)

61,301

46,855

76.4%

4,371

7.1%

54 month (4.5 years)

65,792

40,107

61.0%

4,315

6.6%

5 year

66,993

47,933

71.5%

4,506

6.7%

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”.

For the quarter 1 July - 30 September, the value limit for data suppression was 6 instead of 10. 

Immunisation coverage data – 12-month reporting period

Immunisation coverage data – 12-month reporting period

Immunisation coverage data – three-month reporting period

Immunisation coverage data – three-month reporting period

The Childhood Immunisation Coverage report is published quarterly, within two months of data being available. The publishing schedule is as follows:  

Quarter

Period

Published

Quarter 1

1 July - 30 September

November

Quarter 2

1 October - 31 December

February

Quarter 3

1 January - 31 March

May

Quarter 4

1 April - 30 June

August