Summary
Read the full fact sheet- All children need an Immunisation History Statement showing what vaccines they have received, in order to attend childcare, kindergarten and primary school in Victoria.
- The only documentation that can be used is a current Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
On this page
About Immunisation History Statements
By law, parents or guardians must provide an Immunisation History Statement when you enrol your child in any childcare service, kindergarten or primary school in Victoria.
The only documentation that can be used is a current Immunisation History Statement provided by the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). The statement shows whether a child is up to date with their immunisations and includes details of the vaccines they have received.
You will be asked to provide an Immunisation History Statement when you enrol your child in any childcare service, kindergarten or primary school in Victoria.
Opportunity to 'catch up' on missed vaccines
Obtaining an Immunisation History Statement is an excellent way to check whether your child's vaccinations are up to date.
Measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, chickenpox, pneumococcal disease and polio are life-threatening diseases that children can catch and spread.
Your child should have received vaccines to protect against all these diseases before starting school. Your local council or GP can immunise your child to 'catch up' on any missed vaccine doses.
Your child's immunisation record
It is a legal requirement to provide an Immunisation History Statement from the AIR when you enrol your child in childcare, kindergarten or primary school in Victoria. Staff will keep a copy of your child's statement on file.
To enrol in childcare or kindergarten, parents need to provide an Immunisation History Statement from the AIR that shows the child is up to date with all immunisations they can receive. If/when a child receives a vaccine/s after enrolling and while attending childcare or kindergarten, the parent/guardian must provide an updated Immunisation History Statement to the service.
To enrol in primary school, an Immunisation History Statement from the AIR is still required, however the statement does not need to show that the child is up to date with vaccines. If your child has not received vaccines for any reason, they will still require an Immunisation History Statement to enrol in primary school. The statement will show their vaccinations are overdue and will state that they are not up to date. However, the child will still be able to enrol in and attend school.
Homeopathic immunisation is not a recognised form of immunisation and is not acceptable under the legislation. Therefore, it cannot be listed on an Immunisation History Statement from the AIR.
Essential information for schools
The school principal and health authorities need to know whether or not your child has been immunised. This information will help keep children safe. If there is a disease outbreak, children who have not been immunised, can be quickly identified and excluded from school until the risk of infection has passed.
How do I obtain an Immunisation History Statement?
You will automatically receive a history statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) when your child turns 5 years old. However, you can request a statement for children (under 14 years of age) at any time.
There are a number of ways to get an Immunisation History Statement – the quickest is by using your Medicare online account through myGov or Express Plus Medicare mobile app and printing or downloading a copy.
If you do not have a Medicare online account or you have difficulty getting a copy via your myGov account, you can also:
- phone the Australian Immunisation Register enquiry line on Tel. 1800 653 809
- visit your local Medicare or Centrelink office.
Check your child's Immunisation History Statement carefully. If you think their vaccinations are incomplete or incorrect, contact your immunisation provider. Don’t forget to keep your address and personal details up to date with Medicare and your vaccine provider too.
Families who are not eligible to hold a Medicare card can ask their immunisation provider to print an Immunisation History Statement or they can call the AIR to request an Immunisation History Statement to be posted (allow up to 14 days for delivery by post).
A translating and interpreting service is available by calling Tel. 13 14 50.
Give the Immunisation History Statement to staff
When you enrol your child in a Victorian childcare, kindergarten or primary school, you must give the staff your child's Immunisation History Statement for them to keep on file. This should be done within 2 months of your child's first day of attendance.
This includes all early childhood education and care services – long day care, occasional care and family day care.
Immunisation and HALO
The immunisations we may need are decided by our health, age, lifestyle and occupation. Together, these factors are referred to as HALO. Check your child's immunisation HALO using the Immunisation for Life infographic downloadable poster.
Where to get help
- Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Tel. 1800 653 809
- Your local council immunisation service – visit Know Your Council
- Your local Medicare or Centrelink office
- National Immunisation Information Line Tel. 1800 671 811
- Primary school immunisation requirements, Department of Health, Victorian Government.
- No jab, no play, Department of Health, Victorian Government.
- What an Immunisation History Statement is, Services Australia, Australian Government.
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