REDLAND parents are following state government pleas and getting their children immunised.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
According to statistics last week, immunisation rates for Redland children aged one, two and five, were higher than the state averages.
There are more than 15,000 children in Queensland not fully vaccinated with the Sunshine Coast fingered as having the worst rate.
Under a three-year Queensland Immunisation Strategy, announced in July, the government aimed to hit an immunisation target of 95 per cent for all five-year-olds.
In Redlands, 96.2 per cent of five year-olds were fully vaccinated, well above the state-wide average of 92.1 per cent.
Across the city, 95.3 per cent of two-year-olds were fully vaccinated, also above the state-wide average of 92.9 per cent and above the state-stipulated target of 95 per cent.
However, parents of one-year-olds in Redlands were not as vigilant with only 94.7 per cent of those children fully immunised, compared with a state-wide average for that age group of 91.2 per cent.
The state-wide figures for indigenous children proved better but were still under the 95 per cent target, with 93.8 per cent of aboriginal children fully vaccinated by age five.
Along with the immunisation data, the state also released figures for influenza notifications.
Metro South Health public health physician Dr Kari Jarvinen said it was too early to tell if the flu season had peaked but notifications appeared to be dropping.
He also said notifications of influenza were on a par with previous years, except last year which was considered a “mild” year.
Between January and April, there were 62 flu notifications in the Wynnum-Redland area and 1560 flu notifications across the state.
In the past four years, from 2010 to 2013, an average of over 450 cases of influenza were reported in the Wynnum-Redland area
Dr Jarvinen said flu vaccines were safe for pregnant women and babies six months and older.
