Understanding vaccination rules for children in Australia

Did you know that one in five children is at risk of dying from a disease that is now preventable through vaccination? Australia’s vaccination program helps to prevent severe outcomes from many childhood infections. To access family support payments—and in some states, childcare services—your child must be fully immunised according to the national schedule.

Any vaccine given to children in Australia has been approved by the Therapeutics Goods Administration. Credit: Science Photo Library - IAN HOOT/Getty Images

Under Australia’s National Immunisation Program, essential vaccines are given to infants and children for free, to help reduce preventable diseases.

• The Federal ‘No Jab, No Pay’ and state-level ‘No Jab, No Play’ policies require children to be fully vaccinated to be eligible for family support payments or accessing childcare.
• Having a conversation with a health professional is the way to go if you are concerned about your child’s immunisation.

According to research led by the World Health Organization

, in the past 50 years vaccines have averted 146 million deaths of children younger than five years of age.

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