National figures released today show Tasmania is achieving excellent immunisation rates for infants and young children in Australia.
The Healthy Communities Report: Immunisation rates for children in 2012-13 found between 92% and 94% of infants and young children across Tasmania were fully immunised at ages one, two and five years.
Population Health Services Senior Medical Advisor Dr Mark Veitch said the figures showed vaccinating children to protect them from serious preventable illness was widely accepted by Tasmanian parents.
"I strongly urge parents of incompletely vaccinated children to make sure they are up-to-date well before they start school," Dr Veitch said.
"The decision to vaccinate your child could be lifesaving."
Dr Veitch said while vaccination rates among young children in Tasmania were excellent, the same could not be said for adolescent girls receiving immunisation against human papillomavirus (HPV).
Dr Veitch said it was a great concern that more than a third of Tasmanian 15-year-old girls in 2012 risked passing from adolescence to adulthood without protection from the common strains of HPV.
"This report is a timely reminder to Tasmanian parents of Year 7 girls and boys and Year 9 boys to fill out consent forms to ensure their children take part in the school HPV vaccination program in 2014."
Dr Veitch said HPV infection was an important cause of cervical cancer in women and could also cause anal and penile cancer in men, anal and vaginal cancer in women, and genital warts in both.
"HPV vaccine can protect your child against these avoidable cancers by preventing HPV infection in the first place.
"The Gardasil vaccination provides protection against the common strains of HPV before young people become sexually active."
Dr Veitch said Gardasil had been available to girls since 2007 and to boys since 2013, and was shown to be safe and effective in preventing common types of HPV infections.
Dr Veitch said the three-dose course at school was free at school but could cost over $400 if parents missed this opportunity and had to buy the vaccine privately.
For more information about HPV vaccination visit www.hpvvaccine.org.au
For more information about school-based immunisation program and free council catch-up doses visit www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/peh/immunisation/school_based_immunisation_program