As at March 2010, 91.68 per cent of children aged 12-15 months had received their scheduled immunisations, compared with 91.47 nationally.

Up to the age of six, about 90 per cent of Tasmanian children received their scheduled vaccinations.

The issue of vaccinations received national attention this week when the Queensland mother who lost a four-week-old baby to whooping cough called on the state and federal governments to do more to promote vaccination.

In Tasmania, a free vaccination for grade 6 and 7 girls against human papilloma virus, which can lead to cervical cancer, had a take-up rate of just 55 per cent.

"You'd think that the first proven vaccine to prevent cancer would have people knocking down the door," Dr Pickin said.

Dr Pickin said Public Health would be working to identify why the take-up rate was so low, but she acknowledged there were a number of reasons why this could be the case.

The Gardasil vaccine is given in three doses, the girls need to be at school to receive it and therefore need to have consent forms signed by a parent or guardian.

"There are lots of places where it can just fall down," Dr Pickin said.

She said it was also not known whether the 45 per cent who had not received the full three doses had begun the course but not finished.

Young women up to and including 26 years of age who are not at school can access the Gardasil vaccine free through their general practitioner.