The Healthy Communities report, released on Thursday, shows the capital as having the equal highest full immunisation rate amongst one-year-olds, at 94 per cent, and above-average immunisation rates among two-year-olds (94 per cent) and five-year-olds (92 per cent).

But Canberra’s inner south had the lowest rates of immunisation, with children immunised at a rate below the national average in all three age groups.

Only 86 per cent of one-year-olds in the inner south area were fully vaccinated, 6 per cent below the national average, and just 1 per cent above being considered an ‘at-risk’ group.

ACT Medicare Local chair Dr Rashmi Sharma said there could be a number of explanations for the lower immunisation rate in the area, including a smaller population of children meaning higher statistical variability.

But Dr Sharma confirmed the health organisation would be “drilling down” into the results and investigating whether “conscientious objectors” were also contributing to the inner south slump.

The result comes as some of Sydney’s most affluent areas in the northern and eastern suburbs also recorded lower vaccination rates.

The Australian Medical Association raised concerns about parents in certain areas not following vaccination guidelines, and called for unvaccinated children to be held back from school, and groups spreading anti-vaccination messages be punished.

Nationally, of about 900,000 registered children, 77,000 are not fully immunised, with the lowest rates of immunisation generally in the oldest age group measured.

According to the report, which measured immunisation rates in one, two and five-year-olds across the nation, a fully-immunised child will have had vaccinations against hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, haemophilus influenza, measles, mumps, and rubella by age five.

In the ACT, just over 1000 of the 15,000 children registered were not immunised, placing the territory towards the top of the immunisation lists across all three age groups. Weston Creek, Tuggeranong and Gungahlin had the highest immunisation rates.

Dr Sharma said the ACT’s results were positive, and that Medicare Local would continue working with ACT Health to improve vaccination rates even further.

“I think as a community we’re quite well-informed, and do actually want to protect our children and protect the rest of the community,” Dr Sharma said.

“There’s been a lot of work done for a lot of years in trying to enhance immunisation services.”

Dr Sharma said about half of the vaccinations in the ACT were provided through GP services, while the other half were provided through ACT Health.