Common questions on getting immunised
State and Territory information:
Where can I get immunised?
Are immunisations compulsory?
Do you have to start the schedule again if you miss any vaccine doses?
Can more than one immunisation be given at the same time?
What if my baby had a difficult birth or was premature?
Should children with coughs and colds have immunisation delayed? How long after a severe illness (with a high fever) should immunisation be delayed?
Should children be given a particular vaccine such as chickenpox, measles, rubella or whooping cough, if they have already had that disease?
Should children be immunised while their mother is pregnant?
What if my child has allergies or has asthma? What precautions are required for atopic or egg sensitive children?
What if my child has had a fit or has epilepsy?
What if my child has a chronic disease?
What if someone else in the family has had a reaction to an immunisation?
What if my child is due to have an operation?
Are there any reasons for delaying immunisation?
Where should immunisations be recorded?
How else can I keep track of my child’s immunisations?
Where can I or my child get immunised?
Immunisations can be obtained from immunisation clinics, general practitioners, some hospitals, local councils and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. Where you can be vaccinated varies depending on your location.Are immunisations compulsory?
Immunisation is not compulsory but is highly recommended for all children. Some States and Territories require a record of a child’s immunisations to be presented when the child attends day care or starts school. This is so the day care centre or school knows which children are not immunised. If there is an outbreak in the day care centre or school, the children who are not immunised may be required to stay home to prevent them catching and spreading the disease.Do you have to start the schedule again if you miss any vaccine doses?
Although it is best to get all immunisations on time, if you have fallen behind it is easy to catch up. There is no need to repeat the doses already received and there is no need to get extra doses. The vaccine schedule can safely and effectively be continued as if there had been no delay. The usual intervals between the vaccine doses are maintained or can be reduced if needed. The immune system does not forget.To get full protection, a child needs to have all the recommended vaccine doses, preferably on time. However, funded vaccines are usually for specified age groups. A significant delay could mean that your child will no longer be eligible for free vaccine. To protect your child and avoid unnecessary costs, it is best to immunise your child on time.
Can more than one immunisation be given at the same time?
Yes. The vaccines recommended for routine use in babies and children can safely be administered at a single visit. The introduction of combination vaccines has enabled children to be immunised against more diseases with fewer injections.For example, the DTPa-IPV vaccine provides protection against 4 diseases in one injection. However, with the recent addition of the meningococcal C vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine, a number of injections may be required at the one visit, providing protection for up to seven diseases at one visit. This is completely safe and will not overload the immune system. If you have any concerns, you should discuss them with your doctor or immunisation clinic.
What if my baby had a difficult birth or was premature?
Premature babies especially need the protection of immunisation because they are more prone to certain infections. In general, babies born prematurely receive the same immunisations as other babies. However, very low birth weight babies may have a lower response to hepatitis B and Hib vaccine. The immunisation requirements of a very low birth weight baby should be discussed with your paediatrician and may include having their antibody response checked after immunisation, a delayed immunisation or an extra dose of the hepatitis B and Hib vaccine.As well, premature babies born at less than 28 weeks gestation require an extra dose of Hib vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine.
Should children with coughs and colds have immunisation delayed? How long after a severe illness (with a high fever) should immunisation be delayed?
Babies with minor coughs and colds without fever, or those receiving antibiotics in the recovery phase of an acute illness, can be immunised safely and effectively. Immunisation should only be postponed if a child is very unwell with a high fever (over 38.5ºC).Immunisation should be arranged for when the baby is well again (a week or two later). If in any doubt, ask your doctor or health clinic staff before delaying immunisation.
Should children be given a particular vaccine such as chickenpox, measles, rubella or whooping cough, if they have already had that disease?
It is safe to immunise a child against these diseases even if they may have had them.Immunisation of someone who is already immune to measles boosts immunity and carries no risk. Also, it is important to be immunised against all the diseases the vaccine covers, even if the child has previously caught one of the diseases. Of particular importance is the fact that children under two years of age do not get adequate natural immunity following Hib infection. These children should still be immunised.
Should children be immunised while their mother is pregnant?
There is no problem with giving routine immunisations to a child whose mother is pregnant. In fact, immunising the child will protect the mother from being exposed to diseases like rubella.What if my child has allergies or has asthma? What precautions are required for atopic or egg sensitive children?
Children with asthma, eczema, hay fever and allergies, should be immunised unless they have a genuine severe allergy to egg (eg. generalised hives, swelling of the mouth or throat, difficulty breathing, wheeze, low blood pressure and shock). There are currently no vaccinations on the National Immunisation Program that contain egg protein. However, some other vaccines are produced in eggs, such as vaccines given for special circumstances including influenza, yellow fever and Q fever. These vaccines are not routinely given to children. If in any doubt, ask your doctor or healthcare provider.What if my child has had a fit or has epilepsy?
These children should still be immunised if the condition is stable. Some children have convulsions (fits) when they have a high temperature. These children should be given paracetamol before and for 48 hours after immunisation to reduce the chance of fever. It is important to follow directions on the bottle of paracetamol Remember, the fever following MMR vaccine occurs 7 to 10 days after the immunisation. A family history of fits or epilepsy is not a reason to avoid immunisation.What if my child has a chronic disease?
In general, children with chronic diseases should be immunised as a matter of priority because they are often more at risk from complications from their chronic diseases. Care is needed, however, in situations where the child’s illness, or its treatment, may result in lower immunity.What if someone else in the family has had a reaction to an immunisation?
Immunisations should not be missed if another family member has had any reaction to a vaccine as such reactions are not hereditary.What if my child is due to have an operation?
Immunisations should not be postponed if a child is due to have an operation.Are there any reasons for delaying immunisation?
There are very few medical reasons for delaying immunisation. If a child is sick with a high temperature (over 38.5ºC) then immunisation should be postponed until the child is recovering.A child who has a runny nose, but is not ill, can be immunised, as can a child who is on antibiotics and recovering from an illness. Children who have had a serious allergic reaction, with breathing difficulty, to a previous dose of vaccine should not be given the same vaccine again, but this needs to be discussed with your doctor. In some instances, children with cancer, an immune deficiency disorder, or who are on medications that may interfere with their ability to fight infection should not be immunised with vaccines that contain live viruses such as MMR and chickenpox vaccines.
Immunisation for these children should be discussed with your doctor. Children who have had a blood transfusion or immunoglobulin should not have their MMR or chickenpox vaccine until three months after the transfusion.
If you are in doubt about whether your child is fit for immunisation, discuss the circumstances with your doctor or nurse before postponing immunisation.
Where should immunisations be recorded?
Every time a child is immunised, that information should be recorded in the Personal Health Record given to parents in the hospital or birth centre after a baby is born. It is important to keep these records as a reminder of when immunisations are due and to assist in checking which children in the family are immunised if there is an outbreak of disease. You may also need to show these records when your child starts school. The Personal Health Record and clinic records are completed by the doctor, nurse or health worker giving the immunisation.How else can I keep track of my child’s immunisations?
The Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) (Medicare Australia) records information about immunisations given to children under the age of 7 years who live in Australia.Children under 7 years of age enrolled in Medicare are automatically included on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) (Medicare Australia). If your child is not enrolled in Medicare they can be added when your doctor or health care provider sends the details of their immunisation to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register.
A statement of your child’s immunisation history will be sent to you when your child turns 1, 2 and 5 years of age. This provides a simple way of keeping track of your child’s immunisation history. The statement may also be used to prove your child’s immunisation status for certain family assistance payments.
Statements are sent to the most recent address recorded on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) (Medicare Australia), so it is important that you notify Medicare Australia and your health care provider if you change address.
You can request a statement at any time by visiting the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) (Medicare Australia) or by calling the ACIR on 1800 653 809 (free call).
Your doctor or health care provider can also get information about your child’s vaccinations.
This may be useful if your child has not been to that doctor or health care provider before, as the information will inform them which vaccinations are due.
Page last modified: 10 October, 2005