On this page
- Where children can get immunised
- Immunisation history statement examples
- Children not captured by the immunisation requirements
- National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule
- Interpreting the immunisation record or the NIP Schedule
- Important information about the immunisation record
- Monitoring immunisation schedule points
- Children who do not meet immunisation requirements
- Instructions for parents or carers to download an immunisation history statement
- Newly arrived refugees
- Overseas immunisation record
- Child not eligible for Medicare card
- Catch-up schedule
- Approved exemptions
- Parents can contact SA Health directly
- More information for families
Parents and carers need to be aware of their child’s immunisation requirements. This information will support family day care services to respond to their questions.
Where children can get immunised
Immunisation programs
Vaccines recommended for children, adolescents and adults on the National Immunisation Program are available at no cost for those who hold or are eligible for a Medicare card.
You can search for where to get immunised on the SA Health website - find a service.
Also see:
Immunisation clinic details
The following immunisation clinic information is listed on South Australian council websites.
You should also advise parents that:
- not all councils offer immunisation clinics
- COVID-19 restrictions may affect availability of clinics
- some local councils provide immunisation services as part of the South Australia School Immunisation Program.
Council website immunisation details
- Adelaide Hills Council
- Adelaide Plains Council
- Alexandrina Council
- Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
- City of Adelaide
- City of Burnside
- City of Charles Sturt
- City of Holdfast Bay
- City of Marion
- City of Mitcham
- City of Mount Gambier
- City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters
- City of Onkaparinga
- City of Playford
- City of Port Adelaide Enfield
- City of Prospect
- City of Salisbury
- City of Tea Tree Gully
- City of Unley
- City of Victor Harbor
- City of West Torrens
- District Council of Streaky Bay
- Mid Murray Council
- Mount Barker District Council
- Nganampa Health Council
- Renmark Paringa Council
- Tatiara District Council
- The Barossa Council
- The Rural City of Murray Bridge
- The Town of Walkerville (see also Eastern Health Authority)
- Town of Gawler
- Wattle Range Council
- Wudinna District Council
For more information see SA Health – immunisation programs.
Aboriginal health contacts
SA Health has a range of Aboriginal-specific services across the state as well as community health services, including GP Plus centres located at:
- Aldinga
- Elizabeth
- Marion
- Ceduna
- Port Pirie
- Gilles Plains
- Modbury
- Noarlunga.
The National Immunisation Program schedule for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people provides information on changes to the National Immunisation Program Schedule from 1 July 2020 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Immunisation history statement examples
A signed notice from the Chief Public Health Officer or letter approved by the Chief Public Health Officer may be accepted.
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Early childhood service provider FAQ - No Jab, No Play
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB).
Children not captured by the immunisation requirements
See exempt services information on the FDC educator portal.
National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule
See what is the NIP Schedule?.
Interpreting the immunisation record or the NIP Schedule
You are not required to interpret the immunisation record or the National Immunisation Program Schedule.
Refer the parent to their immunisation provider if they need help.
Important information about the immunisation record
What to look for on the immunisation record
You need to look for the immunisation status which will show either:
- up to date
- up to date on a catch up program – an end date will be in the future
- not up to date.
Refer to AIR Immunisation History Statement Examples for more information.
Children whose records indicate they are up to date or up to date on a catch up schedule with a future end date can continue to attend the service from 7 August 2020.
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Early childhood service provider FAQ - No Jab, No Play
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB).
What to do with the immunisation record
You will need to provide a copy of the immunisation record to the Business Centre at educationfdcbusiness@sa.gov.au.
The staff at the Business Centre will record on Harmony if the child immunisation record is:
- up to date
- up to date on a catch up schedule – with a future end date
- not up to date.
Not approved immunisation records
Letter from a general practitioner
A letter from a GP is not an approved immunisation record.
The Blue Book
The Blue Book is not an approved immunisation record.
When to provide the immunisations records
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB).
For children 4 years of age, a child’s 4 year old immunisation record is not overdue until after the child turns 4 years 8 months of age. Therefore, a child can continue to attend up to that time.
Monitoring immunisation schedule points
Harmony will automatically monitor a child’s catch up date and next immunisation due date. Harmony will send an alert SMS text or email to the parent that will be triggered by age of the child. At the same time an email will be sent to the FDC service.
Children who do not meet immunisation requirements
If a child does not meet the immunisation requirements on 7 August
You cannot allow a child to attend the service on or after 7 August 2020 unless the immunisation requirements have been met or there is an exemption granted by the Chief Public Health Officer.
Children already enrolled who do not meet immunisation requirements
You do not have to ‘un-enrol’ a child however, you cannot allow the child to attend the service on or after 7 August 2020 if the immunisation requirements have not been met.
A child can attend the service on or after 7 August 2020 if the immunisation requirements have been met or there is an exemption granted by the Chief Public Health Officer.
Help to tell parents their child cannot attend
Your coordinator and scheme manager are available to support you and can assist you to manage difficult conversations.
Parent brings their child who is not immunised on or after 7 August
The FDC educator should make every attempt to speak to the parent and provide information on the matter.
If the parent is offensive or abusive the FDC educator must undertake a normal department response to that parent behaviour (seek advice from your coordinator or scheme manager).
If a child is simply dropped off the educator should contact:
- the child’s parent or carer immediately to arrange pick up
- an emergency contact or authorised person to arrange pick up
- the FDC coordinator for advice and support.
Parents who are experiencing exceptional circumstances and have not immunised their child
The department has considered particular scenarios to understand better how to implement these new requirements, such as children who are waiting for appointments with immunologists to meet the requirements, or where the child has received the immunisation but the register has not yet been updated.
The legal position is clear. A child may not attend until the service has received an immunisation record showing the child’s immunisation status as up-to-date including up-to-date with a catch up schedule or unless an exemption has been granted.
Refer parent to the Chief Public Health Officer exemption information:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB)
- Immunisation exemption application form SA Health Chief Public Health Officer (PDF 177KB).
Parent who is intending to immunise their child but hasn’t
The department has considered particular scenarios to understand better how to implement this new requirement, such as children who are waiting for appointments with immunologists to meet the requirements, or where the child has received the immunisation but the register has not yet been updated.
The legal position is clear. A child may not attend until the service has received an immunisation record showing the child’s immunisation status as up-to-date including up-to-date with a catch up schedule or unless an exemption has been granted.
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB)
- Early childhood service provider FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 84KB).
Parent has evidence of an appointment with their doctor or immunisation provider after 7 August
In order for a child to continue to attend on or after 7 August 2020 an immunisation record must be provided and indicate that the child has met the immunisation requirements.
To continue to attend, the immunisation record must show that the child’s immunisation is either:
- up to date
- up to date on a catch up schedule with a future date.
If an exemption has been approved, a copy of this approval signed by the Chief Public Health Officer must be provided.
Parent has requested an exemption from the Chief Public Health Officer but does not have a response
The department has considered particular scenarios to understand better how to implement this new requirement, such as children who are waiting for appointments with immunologists to meet the requirements, or where the child has received the immunisation but the register has not yet been updated.
The legal position is clear. A child may not attend until the service has received an immunisation record showing the child’s immunisation status as up-to-date including up-to-date with a catch up schedule or unless an exemption has been granted.
If an exemption has been approved, a copy of this approval signed by the Chief Public Health Officer must be provided.
Instructions for parents or carers to download an immunisation history statement
Immunisation history statements can be accessed and downloaded by:
- Medicare online account through myGov
- Express Plus Medicare mobile app (through an existing MyGov account)
- Contacting the Australian Immunisation Register general enquiries line on 1800 653 809 and requesting a statement be mailed out.
The guide to accessing immunisation history statements (PDF 540KB) outlines the process.
Newly arrived refugees
Vaccines for newly arrived refugees are available at no cost under the Australian Government Department of Health. Refugees can access the free vaccines through the Newly Arrived Refugee Immunisation Program at the following local councils and health services:
- City of Marion
- City of Playford
- City of Port Adelaide-Enfield
- Refugee Health Service
- Community Health Connect South East.
Overseas immunisation record
Overseas immunisation records need to be added to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) by an immunisation service provider.
Some records may need translation before they can be added to the Australian Immunisation Register.
For immunisation records that need translation, parents or legal guardians will need to complete the Australian Government Free Translating Services application. The Free Translating Service can be used by most permanent and some temporary residents. All fields must be completed in English.
If parents or carers need an interpreter to complete the application, contact the National Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.
For those that are not eligible for the Free Translating Service, there are accredited translator or interpreter services available. See National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters to locate a service.
Parents or carers will need to take a translated copy of the child’s immunisation records to an immunisation provider.
Translating immunisation records
If parents or carers need an interpreter and/or have immunisation records that need translation they can contact:
National Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.
Translated SA Health parent FAQ
Early Childhood Services has been regularly communicating with the Immunisation Section of the Communicable Disease Control Branch at SA Health about translating key information for parents on the new immunisation requirements, such as the Parents and Carers FAQ’s document into other languages.
SA Health have decided against translating these documents. Advice received from SA Health was 'Information in the service provider FAQs outlines what services families can access for records to be translated and if parents or guardians require an interpreter they can contact the National Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450'.
Child not eligible for Medicare card
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB)
- Early childhood service provider FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 84KB).
Catch-up schedule
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB)
- Early childhood service provider FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 84KB).
Child’s Immunisation History Statement doesn’t show they are on a catch-up schedule
If a child is on a catch-up schedule but the child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement does not show this, parents or carers will need to contact their immunisation provider and ask them to update the information on the AIR.
Approved exemptions
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB)
- Early childhood service provider FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 84KB)
- Commonwealth Government’s Department of Social Services Approved Immunisation Exemptions.
Parents can apply to the Chief Public Health Officer for an exemption
Refer to:
- SA Health – Early childhood services and immunisation requirements
- Parent and carer FAQ - No Jab, No Play (PDF 133KB)
- Immunisation exemption application form SA Health Chief Public Health Officer (PDF 177KB).
Parents can contact SA Health directly
- Phone: 1300 232 272
- Email: HealthImmunisation@sa.gov.au.
More information for families
See:
Contact
Regulation and Compliance
Phone: 8226 1646
Email: education.nqfenquiries [at] sa.gov.au