Australia being a developed country ensures that its citizens and residents enjoy the best life. One of the ways to ensure that both children and adults stay protected from infectious diseases is with the help of children’s immunisation schedule in Australia.
The process of immunisation does not only help you to protect your children but also the vaccination augments the process of wiping out infectious diseases from spreading now and eventually eradicate it for the future.
Not very long ago, i.e. even in the 1950s thousands of children every year in Australia died due to infections caused by whooping cough (pertussis), diphtheria, tetanus, and such. With the launch of the children immunisation programme in the country during the 1960s and 1970s, there are rarely any Australians dying from such diseases today.
What is Children Immunisation Programme in Australia?
According to the Australian Govt Health Website, there is a national immunisation programme (NIP) schedule. The schedule is maintained with a series of immunisation shots given to the child throughout life. The immunisation programme ensures that the individual is protected from harmful diseases. It also helps in protecting the community by spreading of preventable diseases.
The NIP is planned in a way in which the body’s natural defences are used to build up a resistance towards specific diseases and infections. Children’s immunisation ages vary according to the programme that ensures your children have a stronger immune system. This will help in the body being able to fight against harmful viruses and bacteria at young age, which can often be fatal.
The Australian government, across the country, offers immunisation programme for children for a range of serious diseases they are:
- Measles
- German measles (rubella)
- Whooping cough (pertussis)
- Meningococcal C
- Tetanus
- Polio
- Mumps
- Chickenpox (varicella)
- Hepatitis
- Diphtheria
- Rotavirus
Without these vaccinations, your children at any age can develop severe ongoing health issues. It includes the development of brain damage, cancer, deafness, mental and physical deformity, to name a few.
Often people believe that these vaccinations cause side-effects and refrain from the immunisation program. According to the official child immunisation record, there are still 8% of Australian children who are not immunised, which puts them in a risk zone. While it is true that there can be side-effects from vaccination, the reality is the risk is comparatively small compared to the complication that children can develop without the immunisation.
When Should I Vaccinate My Children?
According to the NIP schedule across Australia and children immunisation schedule NSW, the vaccination is recommended to children at certain times. Typically a child’s vaccination starts from birth and is given till four years. At times through school-based programme students of Year 8 and Year, 10 can also get vaccines.
The children immunisation schedule NSW and in other states is typically like this:
| Age | Disease |
| Birth to less than 7 days | Hepatitis B injection – 1 |
| 6 weeks | – Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, Haemophilus influenzaetype b (1 injection)- Pneumococcal (1 injection)- Rotavirus (drops in mouth) |
| Aboriginal children | Meningococcal ACWY (1 injection) |
| Aboriginal children and/or children with a medical risk condition | Meningococcal B (1 injection) |
| 4 months Including immunisations for Aboriginal children and children with a medical risk condition | Same as 6 weeks |
| 6 months | Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, Haemophilus influenzaetype b (1 injection) |
| Aboriginal children and/or children with a medical risk condition | Pneumococcal (1 injection) |
| Children with a medical risk condition | Meningococcal B (1 injection) |
| 12 months | –Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) (1 injection) -Pneumococcal (1 injection) – Meningococcal ACWY (1 injection) |
| Aboriginal children and/or children with a medical risk condition | Meningococcal B (1 injection) |
| Children with a medical risk condition | Hepatitis B (1 injection) |
| 18 months | Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (1 injection)Haemophilus influenzae type b (1 injection)Measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (1 injection) – only for children who have already received a measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine previously |
| Aboriginal children | Hepatitis A (1 injection) |
| 4 years | Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio (1 injection) |
| Aboriginal children | Hepatitis A (1 injection) |
| Aboriginal children and/or children with a medical risk condition | Pneumococcal (1 injection) |
Some Important Questions
Some of the common questions that often parents/guardians and adults have regarding immunisation for children. Here are some of them:
Is Vaccination safe?
Vaccination is a preventive measure, but like any medication, it is not 100% safe. However, as mentioned earlier, the risks of Vaccination outweigh the dangers of not getting Vaccination.
In Australia, all vaccinations are made under extensive research and trials to ensure the Therapeutic Goods Administration approves it. A vaccine is licensed only after it is tested for years; it is safe and works.
In case if you have any safety concerns, a doctor should be consulted.
Where should a child vaccinate?
The local council or child health centre will provide you with the necessary information about the Vaccination. You can also get the Vaccination from your doctor.
Is a prior appointment needed?
In most cases, an appointment is not necessary, but it is good to call your health centre and talk about it.
Is Vaccination free?
Yes, the Vaccination is free, but a doctor can charge a consultation fee.
It is also essential that you keep your children’s vaccination note to maintain children immunisation records to ensure it goes into the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and the state health department. The record also helps you with the Centrelink payments when required along with Childcare Benefit Immunisation Allowance.
Proof of immunisation is also required when you want to enrol children at childcare and school. As a guardian, you can get a free copy of the immunisation history from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register.
In case due to certain conditions, if a child cannot be immunised, the family has to stay vaccinated so that the vulnerable people remain protected.
Get It Done Today!
To ensure your children get immunisation at right ages get the best protection and do not delay any further. Always try to stay up-to-date with the Australian National Immunisation Programme.
To know more, you can contact your local health centre or ring at NURSE-ON-CALL Tel. 13000 60 60 24 for free expert advice 24/7.
There is also the National Immunisation Hotline – 1800 671 811