Essential Vaccines: performance report 2024-25

This report provides an assessment of state and territory performance against the performance benchmarks outlined in the Essential Vaccines Schedule of the Federation Funding Agreement – Health (EVS), for the eighth year of the agreement, covering the assessment period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The assessments for benchmarks 1, 2, 3 and 4 account for statistical uncertainties and data variability, determining whether a jurisdiction meets the national target or baseline by comparing vaccination coverage rates with 95% variability bands. Since the assessment method differs from those used in reports produced prior to the 2023–24 assessment, the data presented in this report are not directly comparable to earlier results.

The EVS is an agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the states and territories, which aims to “support the cost-effective and efficient delivery of the National Immunisation Program to protect the Australian public from the spread of vaccine preventable diseases”.

The performance benchmarks assessed in this report are:

1. maintained or increased vaccination coverage rates for 60–<63-month-olds relative to the baseline;
2. maintained or increased vaccination coverage rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in at least two of the following three age cohorts: 12–<15 months; 24–<27 months; and 60–<63 months, relative to the baseline;
3. an increase in the vaccination coverage rate for both adolescent boys and adolescent girls for HPV, relative to the baseline;
4. an increase in vaccination coverage rates for 60–<63-month-olds in four of the ten lowest vaccination coverage SA3 geographical areas in each jurisdiction, relative to the baseline; and
5. an annual decrease in the wastage and leakage rate for agreed vaccines, relative to the baseline.

A performance milestone of “provision of seasonal influenza vaccination rollout plan” is also specified in the Agreement. For the eighth year of the agreement, all states and territories achieved this milestone.

Four jurisdictions (Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory) met 4 of the 5 benchmarks assessed in this report. Three jurisdictions (Victoria, Queensland and Northern Territory) met 3 of the 5 benchmarks assessed in this report (Table S1). For the 2024–25 EVS assessment period, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing determined that exceptional circumstances applied, and payments to jurisdictions were made in accordance with the re‑assessed outcomes presented in Table F1.

Note: A list of the EVS benchmarks and their detailed specifications is in Appendix A.

Reassessment of state and territory benchmark payment outcomes under the EVS 

The Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has determined that exceptional circumstances apply for the purposes of payment under the Essential Vaccines Schedule (EVS) for the 2024–25 assessment period.

In accordance with the provisions of the EVS, the Commonwealth has determined that jurisdictions are deemed to have met Performance Benchmarks 1 and 5 for the purposes of associated payments for the Year 8 (2024–25) assessment.

The revised payment outcomes following this determination are reflected in the table below.

Note: A list of the EVS benchmarks and their detailed specifications is in Appendix A.