Why immunisation is important
Immunisation helps to protect your child from serious infectious diseases. Some of these diseases can make children very sick or even kill them.
Immunisation is also good for you and your child because it stops infectious diseases spreading in the community. Sometimes immunisation can get rid of these diseases completely, as in the case of smallpox.
This happens through herd immunity. Herd immunity is when enough people in the community are immunised against a disease, and the spread of the bacteria or virus that causes the disease either slows down or stops completely. We need herd immunity to protect vulnerable people who might not be able to get immunised because they’re too young or have a serious illness or weak immune system.
Some of the diseases we immunise against aren’t as common in Australia as they once were, because of Australia’s long-term immunisation program. But immunisation is still essential to stop these diseases from coming back.
National Immunisation Program (NIP)
The Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP) recommends and funds:
- immunisation against 13 diseases for Australian children aged 0-4 years
- annual influenza (flu) immunisation for children aged 0-4 years
- extra immunisations for teenagers.
To be fully protected against some diseases, your child might need to be immunised several times at different ages.
Birth
At this age, your child will get one immunisation, which will help protect them from hepatitis B.
At 6-8 weeks
At this age, your child will get 3 immunisations:
- The first immunisation helps to protect your child from hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Haemophilus influenzae type b and polio. It’s given by injection.
- The second immunisation helps to protect your child from pneumococcal disease. It’s given by injection.
- The third immunisation helps to protect your child from rotavirus. It’s given as a liquid, which your child must swallow. The immunisation must be given at 6-14 weeks.
At 4 months
At this age, your child will get 3 immunisations, the same as those given at 6-8 weeks:
- The first immunisation helps to protect your child from hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Haemophilus influenzae type b and polio. It’s given by injection.
- The second immunisation helps to protect your child from pneumococcal disease. It’s given by injection.
- The third immunisation helps to protect your child from rotavirus. It’s given as a liquid, which your child must swallow. The immunisation must be given at 10-24 weeks.
At 6 months
At this age, your child will get one immunisation. This helps to protect your child from hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Haemophilus influenzae type b and polio. It’s given by injection.
At 12 months
At this age, your child will get 3 immunisations, all given by injection:
- The first immunisation helps to protect your child from the A, C, W and Y strains of meningococcal disease.
- The second immunisation helps to protect your child from measles, mumps and rubella.
- The third immunisation helps to protect your child from pneumococcal disease.
At 18 months
At this age, your child will get 3 immunisations, all given by injection:
- The first immunisation helps to protect your child from diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.
- The second immunisation helps to protect your child from measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
- The third immunisation helps to protect your child from Haemophilus influenzae type b.
At 4 years
At this age, your child will get one immunisation. This helps to protect your child from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio. It’s given by injection.
Every year
A yearly influenza immunisation is recommended and funded for children aged 6 months up to 5 years or children with chronic illnesses. It’s given by injection.
In the first year your child gets an influenza immunisation, they’ll need 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart. After this, only one dose is needed each year.
COVID-19 immunisation isn’t part of the NIP but is funded and recommended for some children from 6 months.
Extra immunisations for special circumstances
In addition to the immunisations offered to all children under the NIP, other immunisations are recommended for children who are considered at higher risk of getting certain diseases and having health problems.
These children include:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
- children with certain underlying medical conditions, like conditions that affect the immune system, or chronic lung or heart conditions
- children who were born prematurely
- children travelling overseas.
Some additional immunisations for children at higher risk of disease are funded under the NIP. This includes the Meningococcal B vaccine for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under 2 years.
If you think your child might be in a high-risk group and might need extra immunisations, talk with your GP or immunisation provider.
All vaccines used in immunisation have been tested and are safe for your child at the recommended ages.
Where to get immunisations
Your child can get the immunisations recommended on the NIP schedule from several places, including:
- GP clinics
- community health clinics and Aboriginal community health services
- local government immunisation clinics (which usually operate only on specific days).
GPs can give other immunisations that aren’t on the NIP schedule, like those needed by children with medical conditions, as well as some travel immunisations. Travel immunisation clinics can also give you advice and all the immunisations your child needs for travel.
There are specialist immunisation services in most states and territories. These services are for children who’ve had adverse reactions to previous immunisations or who are in high-risk groups, or for families who are concerned about immunising their children. You usually need a referral from your GP or specialist to go to one of these services.
It’s best to talk about immunisation with your GP, child and family health nurse or paediatrician. Your child’s health professionals know you and your child. They’ll listen to you, take the time to answer your questions, and give you the most up-to-date information about immunisation.
Immunisation: costs and family payments
The Australian Government funds the immunisations on the NIP schedule.
You don’t normally pay for immunisation if your child gets this service at a community health clinic or local government immunisation clinic. If you go to the GP for your child’s immunisation, you might have to pay a consultation fee (even though the vaccine itself is free).
If your child needs extra immunisations that aren’t part of the NIP schedule – for example, the annual influenza immunisation for a healthy child aged over 5 years or travel immunisations – you might need to get a prescription for the vaccine from your GP or a travel clinic and buy it from a pharmacy. Some doctors have these vaccines available in their clinics. The costs of vaccines vary depending on the type of vaccine, the formula and the place you buy it from.
The Australian Government has a ‘No jab, no pay’ policy. This means that if a child isn’t fully immunised, parents can’t get the Child Care Subsidy. Also, their Family Tax Benefit Part A payment might be reduced. For more information, go to Australian Government Department of Human Services – What are immunisation requirements.
Your child’s immunisation history and the Australian Immunisation Register
Your child’s immunisation history is recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
Your child’s immunisation history statement is a useful personal record. You can use it as proof that your child is up to date with recommended immunisations. You might need this proof to enrol your child at child care.
Your child is put onto the AIR automatically once they’re enrolled in Medicare. And you can request your child’s immunisation history statement at any time through your Medicare online account at myGov, by asking your immunisation provider, or by calling the AIR on 1800 653 809.
You can also give your GP permission to access your child’s immunisation history on the AIR. This can help with planning which immunisations your child needs and when.
If your child hasn’t had an immunisation within one month of when it’s recommended, your child is considered not up to date. The AIR will send you a reminder. And if your child has missed an immunisation, talk to your immunisation provider about a catch-up schedule.
Vaccines, vaccination and immunisation
You might hear the terms vaccine, vaccination and immunisation:
- A vaccine helps to protect you from a disease. It’s a medicine.
- Vaccination means actually getting the vaccine, either by mouth or through injection.
- Immunisation means both getting the vaccine and being protected from the disease.
Most people use ‘vaccination’ and ‘immunisation’ to mean the same thing, although they’re not quite the same.