title: Immunisation coverage among a birth cohort of Aboriginal infants in an urban community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to examine the age-appropriate immunisation coverage and the factors associated with this in a cohort of Aboriginal infants in an outer urban Sydney community in comparison with non-Aboriginal infants in this community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on immunisation coverage were extracted from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register for a birth cohort of 178 Aboriginal and 356 non-Aboriginal infants born in Campbelltown between October 2005 and May 2007. Non-Aboriginal infants were matched on birthdates and gender. Data on maternal socio-economic and other characteristics were collected by questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Australian Childhood Immunisation Register records were identified for 92% of infants. Immunisation rates of Aboriginal infants were comparable with those of non-Aboriginal infants except for delay at 4 and 6 months. Rates of delay in immunisation at 12 and 18 months for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants were similar. Young maternal age and higher parity were both associated with a greater likelihood of delay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunisation rates in this population of Aboriginal infants are comparable to those of non-Aboriginal infants except for delay in immunisation at 4 and 6 months. Identified risk factors for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants may be amenable to intervention. Strategies to ensure timely compliance with immunisation schedules in this outer urban community have achieved reasonable immunisation coverage for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal infants.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Vana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jalaludin
authors.forename: Lisa R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Jackson Pulver
authors.forename: Elizabeth Jean
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Comino
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aboriginal; Indigenous; child; immunisation