300 Ethnic inequalities in recent COVID-19 vaccination uptake among older adults in Australia: a population-based study

OP 37: Health Status 3, B210 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 11:30 - 12:30 Aims Australia achieved 99% coverage for the first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine among those aged 70 and older in 2022, but uptake of 2023 pre-winter COVID booster vaccinations was lower. Recent COVID-19 vaccination rates are lower among overseas-born individuals and those with limited English proficiency, but no research has identified which specific ethnic groups have the lowest uptake. Methods We created a population-based cohort study by linking the Census and the Australian Immunisation Registry to examine COVID vaccination uptake 01/01/2023 to 30/06/2023. The study sample included all those aged 65 years and over who responded to the Census and were still alive and in Australia by the end of the study period (N = 4047320). Ethnicity was based on self-reported ancestry in the Census. We calculated the age-standardised percentage receiving a recent COVID-19 vaccine dose by ethnicity stratified by sex. Results Preliminary results found an overall recent vaccination uptake of 44.5% for males and 44.3% for females. However, the recent vaccination rate was 20% or lower in those of North African and Middle Eastern, Central Asian, South Eastern European, Central American and Pasifika ethnicity. There were also important differences by sex. Lower vaccination rates in females tended to be observed in ethnic groups with the lowest overall vaccination rates (12.0-26.6%). In contrast, lower vaccination rates in males were observed in those of Latin American, Caribbean or North American ethnicity who had vaccination rates of 28.4-47.5%. Conclusions We found large ethnic inequalities in recent COVID-19 vaccination uptake in older Australians. We also found important intersections between sex and ethnicity in vaccination rates. We will be further exploring intersections with migration-related factors and socioeconomic position in the work. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health strategies that actively engage with priority communities to address these vaccination inequalities.