As a new school year approaches, parents are reminded to immunise their children before beginning primary school.
Dr Stephen Conaty, the director of public health of the South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) says it’s important that all primary school aged children are up to date with vaccinations to help protect against preventable diseases.
“Parents are reminded that all children should have booster needles between three and a half and four years of age. These cover a range of diseases, including measles and whooping cough,” Dr Conaty said.
“When enrolling a child in school, parents are asked to provide evidence of their child’s immunisation history.
“They can do this by obtaining an Immunisation History Statement, issued by the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR).
“An Immunisation History Statement will be automatically sent to a child’s address after ACIR has received information that a child has been immunised with the vaccines that are due by age four,” Dr Conaty said.
Schools are not able to accept other records such as the Blue Book or overseas vaccination records.
Parents should see their GP or immunisation provider if records of their vaccinations need to be sent to ACIR so they can obtain an Immunisation History Statement.
Dr Conaty said immunisation programs in NSW have been extremely effective in reducing the risk of vaccine preventable diseases.
“Important causes of meningitis like Haemophilus influenza type B and meningococcal C are now rare,” Dr Conaty said.
“However, vaccine preventable illnesses like whooping cough, chicken pox and measles, continue to occur in the community.
“Vaccination is the best way to protect a child from these serious diseases. If most children are vaccinated this also protects those who are too young to be vaccinated, or those who can’t be vaccinated because of medical conditions,” he said.
Parents can request another copy of the History Statement by calling the ACIR on 1800 653 809, emailing acir@medicareaustralia.gov.au or visiting the Medicare Online Services website or a local Medicare office.
For more information on immunisation contact the Public Health Unit on 8778 0855 or 1300 066 055 or visit the immunisation website here.
♦ If you live in Campbelltown and are a parent of young children you can take advantage of council’s free immunisation clinics, which have been offered for 40 years.
They are available twice a month for children aged two months to four years in accordance with the National Immunisation Program.
The “no appointment’’ clinics are available at Greg Percival Community Centre, Oxford Road, Ingleburn (adjacent to the library) from 4pm to 8pm on the second Thursday of each month, and at the Campbelltown Civic Hall, from 4pm to 8pm on the fourth Thursday of each month.
Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr Paul Hawker, said council was committed to increasing the childhood immunisation rate among infants and children in the Macarthur region.
“We hope our free, no appointment clinics will assist parents to access health care and help boost the level of immunity to vaccine preventable infectious diseases among young children in our community,” Cr Hawker said.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Contagious diseases can spread quickly, but parents can reduce the risk of their children catching childhood illnesses by making sure vaccinations are up to date.”[/social_quote]
Vaccinations are due when a child reaches two months, four months, six months, 12 months, 18 months and four years of age.
Children are eligible for the free service on presentation of a valid Medicare card.
When completed, the course of vaccinations will immunise a child against rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, HIB disease, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, chickenpox and meningococcal C disease.
Council also says that the Federal Government’s “no jab, no play’’ policy commenced in January, where families with children who are not immunised and do not have an approved exemption will be unable to access Child Care Benefits, the Child Care Rebate and the Family Tax Benefit Part A end of year supplement.
For more details on council’s free immunisations clinics, visit its website.
