What is the Australian Immunisation Register?
The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is a national register that records vaccines given to all people in Australia.
How can parents access the AIR Immunisation History Statement?
The AIR automatically sends an Immunisation History Statement to parents in the mail after the child completes their 4-year-old immunisations.
Parents may obtain a copy of their child's immunisation details at any time by:
How can parents access the AIR Immunisation History Statement for children who are 14 or older?
For privacy reasons, children aged 14 years and over must get their own Immunisation History Statement. If their Medicare account is linked to MyGov, then they can sign in to get their statements online.
With consent from the child, a parent can access the child’s immunisation statements. Parents will need to speak to the service officer to verify their identity. Children will need to give their consent each time a parent requests a copy of the statement.
What if a child was vaccinated overseas?
Overseas immunisation records cannot be accepted by schools or early childhood education services.
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.
Can a child be enrolled without vaccination records?
In an approved Early Childhood service such as a preschool or long day care centre, an enrolment cannot proceed without approved proof of immunisation.
In a school, an enrolment can proceed without an AIR Immunisation History Statement. The student must be recorded as unvaccinated.
Children may be directed to not attend an Early Childhood service or school in certain circumstances if there is an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease.
What immunisations are required to be considered fully vaccinated?
A child is considered fully vaccinated if they are following the National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule for their age. The NIP schedule for all Australians can be found on the Australian Government’s Department of Health website.
Do students in OSHC services need to be vaccinated?
No. Children who attend before or after school care (either on school campuses or externally) are exempt from the immunisation/enrolment requirements that apply to Early Childhood services such as preschools and long day care centres.
What immunisation requirements apply to Prep or Kindergarten Minus One classes in schools?
The immunisation requirements for schools apply to children in school-based Prep or Kindergarten Minus One classes.
Are K-12 schools required to seek an Immunisation History Statement for students moving from the school’s primary years to secondary years?
No. These students are not considered new enrolments.
Do the requirements apply to students over the age of 18 in schools?
Yes. The requirements apply to all new enrolments in schools, regardless of age.
Do secondary students require vaccinations in addition to those required for primary students?
No. For the purposes of enrolment requirements, the vaccinations required by NSW Health for secondary students are the same as those for primary students and are usually completed by age 5 (or later if on a recognised catch-up schedule). However, some additional vaccinations are recommended but are not compulsory for secondary students. Information about vaccination schedules for secondary school students is available here.
