Vaccines on the National Immunisation Program are free for eligible children, and the schedule is built around the ages at which particular illnesses are most dangerous. The hardest part for most parents is not the needles — it is keeping track.
How the schedule works
The National Immunisation Program schedule sets out which vaccines are given at which ages, from birth through to adolescence. In NSW the early childhood visits are usually done at your GP, and the adolescent doses are given through the school-based program.
The visits parents will recognise are birth, two months (which can be given from six weeks of age), four months, six months, twelve months, eighteen months and four years, with additional doses for some children depending on their health and background. Rather than reproducing the whole table here — it does get updated — we check your child’s history against the current schedule at each appointment and tell you exactly what is due.
Some children are eligible for extra vaccines free of charge: babies born prematurely, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children with medical conditions that raise their risk. If that might be your child, mention it — the entitlements are real and often missed. See immunisation at the clinic.
What to bring
- The blue book, if you have it.
- Your Medicare card.
- Any record of vaccines given overseas or interstate.
- A comforter, a bottle or a favourite toy for babies and toddlers.
What happens at the appointment
A vaccination appointment is short and predictable. Your GP or nurse checks your child is well, confirms what is due, explains what is being given and why, and answers whatever you want to ask before anything happens.
A mild cold with no fever is usually not a reason to postpone. A significant fever or illness is. If you are unsure, come in anyway — we would rather see your child and decide than have you guess at home.
- For babies, feeding during or straight after the injection settles most of them faster than anything else.
- For toddlers, sitting on your lap facing you, with a cuddle, works better than lying down.
- For school-age children, honesty helps. It is a quick sharp scratch. Telling them it will not hurt at all backfires the first time it does.
- Tell us if your child has fainted before, or if needles are a significant fear. We can slow the whole thing down.
After the needle
Common reactions are a sore arm or leg, a bit of redness or swelling at the site, being unsettled, a mild fever and being sleepier than usual. These generally settle within a day or two and are a sign the immune system is doing what it should.
You are asked to wait around 15 minutes at the clinic afterwards. That is standard practice everywhere and it is precautionary — serious reactions are very rare, and the point of waiting is that if one happens, it happens where there are people and equipment.
Contact the clinic on (02) 4311 3800 if your child has a high fever that will not settle, seems very unwell, or has a reaction that worries you. If your child is seriously unwell or having difficulty breathing, call 000.
If you have fallen behind
Missed doses are common and they are fixable. Catch-up vaccination is available free under the National Immunisation Program for children up to and including 19 years of age, and there is no need to start a course again from scratch.
Book a longer appointment, bring whatever records you have, and we will map out a catch-up plan. If records are missing entirely — which happens with overseas arrivals and with moves between states — we can check the Australian Immunisation Register and work from there.
It is also worth knowing that immunisation status affects some childcare and preschool enrolments, and family payments. Getting the record straight is often the practical reason people come in. See children’s health.
School years and keeping records straight
In NSW, adolescent vaccines are delivered through the school-based immunisation program, with consent forms sent home. If your child misses the school day, the doses can be given at the clinic instead — just book in.
Every vaccine given in Australia is recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. You can view and download your child’s immunisation history statement through your Medicare online account or the Express Plus Medicare app, which is what childcare centres and schools ask for.
If the record and your memory disagree, bring it in. It is usually a data entry issue and it is worth fixing before someone needs the statement in a hurry.
This article is general information for people in the Gosford and Central Coast area. It is not advice about your situation and it does not replace a consultation with your own doctor. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call us on (02) 4311 3800. In an emergency, call 000.
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