Immunisation

Immunisation is one of the safest and most effective ways to prevent illness. Babies have little natural protection against illness and are more likely to catch a disease if not immunised. By having your child immunised, help stop the spread of infection and protect other children.

Just after birth, your baby would have received an injection to protect against hepatitis B. On your first visit to the Maternal and Child Health Nurse, when your baby is about two weeks old, you will be asked to sign an immunisation consent form to cover all the remaining recommended immunisations for your baby.

Immunisation information is provided prior to your baby having any vaccinations.

Mild side effects to the injections, such as a tender spot at the needle site and a slight temperature, are quite common and usually last no more than 24 hours. In these cases, use paracetamol as directed. These symptoms will not prevent further immunisation being given to your child. Severe reactions are extremely rare. If you are worried about side effects, or if you have been told that immunising your child is not a good idea, discuss this with your nurse or doctor.

Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)

The ACIR records your child’s vaccinations. Your immunisation provider sends the record of immunisation to the register. It is important for your child to be enrolled in Medicare as soon as possible so that your child’s immunisation records are accurate. The ACIR will provide you and health professionals with benefits such as:

• A history statement when your child turns 1,2 and 5 years of age
• Documents to help with eligibility for some family payments
• The option of getting a copy of your child’s immunisation details at any time
• The ability to track immunisation levels in Australia to assist health professionals monitor disease outbreaks.

Details of your child’ s immunisations are kept in the immunisation section of your child’ s Health Record. You will require this immunisation record if your child commences daycare and on enrolment for a preschool program.

In addition, it is compulsory to present a School Entry Immunisation Certificate when enrolling your child in primary school in Victoria. To obtain this before enrolling your child at school, you will need to take this Child Health Record to your local council, and a School Entry Immunisation Certificate will then be given to you.

Recommended immunisations

The immunisations given to Victorian children are reviewed regularly. Your nurse, doctor or local council will keep you informed of any changes to those listed in the immunisation section of your child’s Health Record.

Birth
It is now recommended that all infants are immunised against hepatitis B. The first immunisation is given while your baby is in hospital, soon after birth. Your baby will also receive immunisations against hepatitis B at 2 months, 4 months and 12 months of age. This vaccination protects against a virus that affects the liver and can cause fever, nausea, tiredness, dark urine and yellow skin. Most young children, and a small percentage of adults, who catch the virus become carriers of hepatitis B and can spread the virus to other people.

From 2 months
In Victoria, babies are immunised against polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, meningoccal serogroup C disease, haemophilus influenzae type B and hepatitis B as these diseases can be very serious if caught in childhood. Babies are also immunised against rubella (German measles) as it may cause deafness, blindness and brain damage to the unborn child if a pregnant woman catches the disease.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children with certain medical conditions, are also given the childhood pneumococcal vaccine.

There are other important recommended immunisations to consider for your child to protect against disease. These include childhood pneumococcal and chicken pox vaccine.

Related sites

• Immunisation (www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation)
  Victorian Government health information