More than 140,000 Australian parents have been cut off from child care payments for failing to vaccinate their children.

The movement is part of the Federal Government's 'no jab, no pay' crackdown.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was an extreme but necessary measure.

'It is a tough policy because this is about public health and the safety of our beautiful kids,' he told Nine News on Saturday.

More than 140,000 Australian parents have been cut off from child care payments for failing to vaccinate their children

'And if you are covered, other kids are covered as well.'

Parents of an estimated 142,793 children under the age of five were cut off from up to $15,000 in taxpayer-funded child care payments when the 'no jab, no pay' policy was brought in last year.

Under the policy, 'conscientious objection' from parents on non-medical grounds was not a valid exemption.

After the hard-line policy was introduced in January 2016, the government saw a resurgence in parents vaccinating their children.

Almost 200,000 more children were vaccinated for diseases including hepatitis, tetanus and whooping cough.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt (pictured) said it was an extreme but necessary measure

Mr Hunt said parents had every right to deny their children vaccinations, but made it clear they would no longer receive payouts including the Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate, the Family Tax Benefit and Part A end of year supplement.

Vaccination rates across the country vary, but in New South Wales suburbs with some of the highest number of unvaccinated children were affluent suburbs in Sydney's north, inner west and east.

Sydney's eastern suburbs recorded child vaccination rates even lower than Australia's average, with only 88.9 per cent of five-year-olds fully immunised compared to Australia's average at 92.2 per cent.

Sydney's centre recorded similar rates, with more than 22 per cent of five-year-olds not fully immunised, a staggering 15 per cent less than the national average.

in New South Wales the suburbs with the highest number of unvaccinated children were affluent suburbs in Sydney's north, inner west and east

In Manly, on Sydney's prestigious north coast, nearly 14 per cent of five year olds were not up to date with their vaccinations, according to government statistics in 2015 before the 'no jab, no pay' policy was introduced.

The latest immunisation data also showed up to 20 per cent of one-year-old children in Melbourne's centre were not vaccinated.

Brunswick Heads and Parramatta in new South Wales boasted some of the nation's lowest vaccination rates, with an estimated 27 per cent of one-year-olds reportedly unvaccinated.