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Changes to Immunisation Requirements December 2015

As of January 1st 2016, the requirements for Immunisations are changing for family payments, including: Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate, Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement and the upcoming Nanny Pilot Programme.

Changes to Immunisation Requirements ? December 2015

As of January 1st 2016, the requirements for Immunisations are changing for family payments, including: Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate, Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement and the upcoming Nanny Pilot Programme.

To receive a family payment for a child under 20 years of age, you will need to make sure their immunisations are up to date.

Why is Immunisation Important?

Immunisation is important for the health and wellbeing of children and the wider community. A sufficient number of people need to be vaccinated to stop the spread of viruses and bacteria that cause diseases. In Australia, immunisation coverage rates for children are high, which helps to maintain community immunity, especially for children who are too young to be immunised or those that are not able to be immunised for medical reasons.

Immunisation is one of the best ways to protect yourself, your children and safeguard the health of future generations.

Are Immunisations Safe?

Advancements in the science of immunisations have lead to modern vaccines to become extremely safe, and serious reactions to them are rare.

Before vaccines are made available for use, they are first rigorously tested in thousands of people in progressively larger clinical trials. These trials are strictly monitored for safety, and the approval process for a vaccine can take up to 10 years. The benefit of protection against the disease far outweighs the risks of immunisation.

Why do Children get Immunised?

According to Immunise Australia Program from the Australian Government Department of Health, there are two reasons for immunising every child in Australia:

1. Immunisation is the safest and most effective way of providing protection again the disease. After immunisation, your child is far less likely to catch the disease if there are cases in the community and if it is caught, they are likely to only have mild symptoms.

2. If enough people in the community are immunised, the infection can no longer be spread from person to person.

How do I find out my Child’s Immunisation details?
Visit the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, to check your child’s immunisation details through their immunisation history statement.