NSW Health are urging all early childhood services to ensure that all children's immunisation schedule is up-to-date before they start.
All children, must provide an immunisation history, and children can only be enrolled in childcare where evidence is provided that they are fully immunised for their age, are on a recognised catch-up schedule or have a medical reason not to be vaccinated.
Parents must provide a copy of one or more of the following documents to enrol in a child care centre:
- an AIR Immunisation History Statement which shows that the child is up to date with their scheduled vaccinations or
- an AIR Immunisation History Form on which the immunisation provider has certified that the child is on a recognised catch-up schedule (temporary for 6 months only) or
- an AIR Immunisation Medical Exemption Form which has been certified by a GP.
No other form of documentation is acceptable (i.e. the Interim Vaccination Objection Form or Blue Book). The documents must be stored by the director in a secure location for 3 years, unless a child transfers to another child care centre.
The following classes of children are can be enrolled without the approved forms but directors of child care facilities must make reasonable efforts to ensure that parents provides the approved forms within 12 weeks from the date of enrolment in the child care facility:
- those who are subject to a guardianship order under section 79A of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998
- those who have been placed in out-of-home care
- those who are being cared for by an adult who is not the child’s parent due to exceptional circumstances such as illness or incapacity
- those who have been evacuated following a state of emergency (for example, a declared natural disaster)
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children
For children vaccinated overseas, overseas immunisation records must not be accepted by child care centres. The overseas immunisation records need to be assessed by an Australian immunisation provider who will transfer the information to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Parents can then request an AIR Immunisation History Statement.
For more information: NSW Health