Dr Leanne Hosking with Jodie Quader and daughter Riley from Morley.
Camera IconDr Leanne Hosking with Jodie Quader and daughter Riley from Morley. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie

Immunisation rates on the rise in Bayswater and Bassendean

Toyah ShakespeareEastern Reporter

BAYSWATER-BASSENDEAN immunisation rates are on the increase, getting closer to the national target of 95 per cent of children fully vaccinated.

The City of Bayswater is one of three local governments in Perth that still has an immunisation unit, all other local governments had terminated the service.

According to the State Health Department, immunisation rates of one year olds in the Bayswater-Bassendean area have increased from 94.07 per cent at the end of 2015 to 94.48 per cent at the end of 2016, close to the 95 per cent national target.

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In neighbouring Swan and Stirling, one-year-old immunisation rates have dropped from 93.24 per cent and 92.16 per cent in 2015, respectively, to 92.2 per cent and 91.37 per cent in 2016.

Fully vaccinated Bayswater-Bassendean five-year-olds sat at 91.61 per cent in 2015 and increased to 92.8 per cent last year.

Swan five-year-old rates increased from 91.68 per cent to 92.86 and Stirling decreased from 92.48 per cent to 90.98 per cent.

The City of Bayswater has an immunisation unit that includes two nurses, an administration officer and contracts a doctor to administer the jabs to young children and high school students including highly infectious whooping cough, measles, mumps and the cervical cancer vaccine.

Child health clinics are held in Bayswater, Maylands, Morley, Noranda and in 2016, 1271 babies and children attended.

Mayor Barry McKenna said the Bayswater had one of the highest immunisation rates in the metropolitan area.

“We are proud of this record and are committed to working with the State Government to bring down the rates of preventable infectious disease,” he said.

The City of Stirling stopped carrying out vaccinations in 2013 and the City of Swan does not carry out the jabs, a service run by the State Government.

Morley resident Jodie Quader took six-month-old daughter Riley to have her injections at the Morley child health clinic held at the The RISE this month.

The injections contained protection against pneumococcal, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenzae type B.

The disease requiring the highest level of vaccine coverage to achieve herd immunity is measles; it is estimated 92 to 94 per cent vaccination rates are required for herd immunity from the virus.

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