South Yarra has the lowest rate of childhood immunisation in Victoria, and among the lowest in the nation, according to data released by the National Health Performance Authority on Thursday.
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Less than 83 per cent of five-year-olds in South Yarra are fully immunised, compared to the state average of 92 per cent.
In contrast, in parts of country Victoria such as Yarrawonga, nearly 100 per cent of children are fully immunised.
Nationally, 75,000 children aged one, two or five were not fully immunised in 2012-13, a small improvement on the previous year. Of these, 15,000 were registered as ''conscientious objectors''.
The areas with the lowest rates of immunisation are on NSW's north coast. In Byron Bay and Broken Head, barely two thirds of five-year-olds are fully immunised. Parts of Sydney including Sydney CBD, The Rocks and Haymarket had an immunisation rate of 72.1 per cent, while rates in Manly (80.4 per cent) and Annandale (81.1 per cent) were also low.
The 3730 postcode which includes Yarrawonga had the nation's highest immunisation rate (99 per cent), while several other Victorian areas had among the highest rates in the nation.
These included Wallan, Colac, Portland, Leopold and Moolap, all of which had immunisation rates above 97 per cent.
Across Australia the proportion of five year olds who were fully immunised increased from 90 per cent in 2011-12 to 91.5 per cent in 2012-13. The improvement among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children over this period was particularly marked, from 87.3 per cent to 92.1 per cent.
Proportion of five-year-olds fully immunised:
HIGHEST
Yarrawonga 99%
Wallan 98.1%
Colac 98%
Leopold, Moolap 97.1%
Portland 97%
LOWEST
South Yarra 82.9%
Braybrook 84.6%
Montmorency 84.7%
Belgrave, Tecoma 84.7%
St Kilda 84.7%
Source: National Health Performance Authority
