Some parents don’t like needles themselves and find it hard to watch their children get vaccinated. If you think watching your child have a needle will upset you, you can ask a friend or relative take them in for you. If you don’t have anyone you could ask, mention it to your nurse or doctor to see if they can arrange to have someone else help out. Needles do hurt and most children cry at least a little when they get one, but usually they are back to normal before they leave the clinic. This video explains some of the simple things you can do to reduce the amount of pain your child feels when they get a needle.

Most children do not have a reaction to vaccination and are back to normal before they even leave the clinic. Some children will have mild reactions such as a low fever, some redness, soreness or a bit of a bump where the needle went in, or some generally unsettled behaviour. These reactions normally last between 12 and 24 hours and then get better, with just a little bit of love and care from you at home. No matter how gentle the doctor or nurse is, needles hurt and most children cry at least a little when they get a needle. This video explains some of the simple things you can do to reduce the amount of pain your child feels.

Serious side effects are very rare, but they can happen. Some parents want to know more about the possibility of serious side effects before they vaccinate their children. In almost all cases, children recover from these side effects without any long-term effects as long as they have good medical care.

Most Australian parents choose to vaccinate their children. The most recent data indicates that 94 per cent of children are fully vaccinated. Some parents feel very confident about immunising their children; others have questions they need answered before they make a decision. A small number of parents choose not to vaccinate. Your choice is your own. If you decide not to vaccinate, your child will be at greater risk if they are exposed to a serious infectious disease, so you will need to know more about how to recognise the symptoms. You will also need to know about the restrictions on employment, travel and government payments for people who are not fully vaccinated.

In Australia, vaccination has had a big impact on the number of people catching and suffering from infectious diseases. Some diseases that can be prevented by vaccination, like whooping cough, are still common in Australia. Some, like measles, are less common, but can still be found in countries that Australians have a lot of contact with in South-East Asia and the Pacific. Other diseases, such as polio, are now very rare, but vaccination through the National Immunisation Program helps ensure they do not reappear.

Many diseases can be passed from one person to another before any symptoms are apparent. Two diseases in particular, rubella and varicella, can cause serious long-term complications for small babies and pregnant women. Vaccinating children against these diseases helps protect mothers and babies. 

Under the national policy known as ‘No Jab No Pay’ Australian families will only be eligible for certain government payments if their children are fully vaccinated. These include Family Tax Benefit (FTB) payments and Child Care Subsidy payments. Certain exemptions are available, however a personal choice not to vaccinate is no longer an accepted exemption.

Every state and territory has policies around access to childcare and school for children who have not been vaccinated. In some states, children are not allowed to enrol in childcare at all if they are not fully vaccinated. These restrictions are known as ‘No Jab No Play’ policies.

In Australia, children who have not had all the recommended vaccines will be asked to stay away from childcare or school if there is an outbreak of disease. These mandatory exclusion periods can last for weeks.

The decision to travel to countries where infectious diseases are more common is yours to make. Some of the diseases children are vaccinated against in Australia are more common in other countries, including nearby holiday destinations in South-East Asia and the Pacific. If you are planning to travel, or if you are in contact with friends or relatives who have travelled recently, then your child may be at risk of getting measles, rubella, chicken pox, diphtheria, pneumococcal pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis B, polio or rotavirus.

No matter how gentle the doctor or nurse is, needles hurt and most children cry at least a little when they get a needle. The good news is that most children are back to normal before they even leave the clinic. This video explains some of the simple things you can do to reduce the amount of pain your child feels when they get a needle.

Most children do not have a reaction to vaccination and are back to normal before they even leave the clinic. Some children will have mild reactions  such as a low fever, some redness, soreness or a bit of a bump where the needle went in, or some generally unsettled behaviour. These reactions normally last between 12 and 24 hours and then get better, with just a little bit of love and care from you at home. No matter how gentle the doctor or nurse is, needles hurt and most children cry at least a little. This video explains some of the simple things you can do to reduce the amount of pain your child feels.

Serious reactions are very rare, but they can happen. Some parents want to know more about the possibility of serious side effects before they vaccinate their children. In almost all cases, children recover from these side effects without any long-term effects as long as they have good medical care.

Some children’s immune systems don’t develop total protection in response to vaccines. When these children are unlucky enough to catch a disease they’ve been vaccinated against, they usually only get a very mild illness. When most children are vaccinated, diseases don’t spread as easily through the community. This means that children who only have partial protection from vaccination are less likely to come into contact with someone who can spread the disease to them.

If you choose to vaccinate your child, you will be making the same decision as millions of other Australian parents. The most recent data indicates that 94 per cent of children in Australia are fully vaccinated. Vaccination has made a big difference to the number of people catching and suffering from infectious diseases in this country.

The decision to vaccinate is yours to make. Some parents feel very confident about immunising their children; others have questions they need answered before they make a decision. A small number of parents choose not to vaccinate. The most recent data indicates that 94 per cent of Australian children are fully vaccinated. If you want some well-researched information to share when talking to non-vaccinating friends about your decision to vaccinate, it might be helpful to read through some questions and answers that address the kind of concerns some people have about vaccination.

Vaccines train your child’s immune system to quickly recognise and get rid of the bacteria and viruses that can cause serious illness. In Australia, vaccination has made a big difference to the number of people catching and suffering from infectious diseases.

In Australia, vaccination has made a big difference to the number of people catching and suffering from infectious diseases. The National Immunisation Program continues to ensure that individuals are protected from these diseases, and that diseases that have effectively disappeared from the community, like polio, don’t come back.

Vaccines train your child’s immune system to quickly recognise and get rid of the bacteria and viruses that can cause serious illness. In Australia, vaccination has made a big difference to the number of people catching and suffering from infectious diseases. Some of the diseases covered by the National Immunisation Program schedule have effectively disappeared from the community, like polio. Vaccination helps to ensure that these diseases don’t come back. Other diseases, like pertussis or ‘whooping cough’, are still around. Vaccination provides your child with protection against those diseases.

Children who are fully vaccinated according to Australia's National Immunisation Program are protected against some diseases that are still common in other countries including polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, hepatitis B and Hib. If you are travelling, you may also want your family to be vaccinated against diseases that are not part of the National Immunisation Program such as rabies, yellow fever and typhoid. The Australian government’s Smart Traveller website has more information on travel vaccinations.

Most Australian parents choose to vaccinate their children. The most recent data indicates that 94 per cent of children are fully vaccinated. Some parents feel very confident about immunising their children; others have questions they need answered before they make a decision. A small number of parents choose not to vaccinate. Your choice is your own.

During an outbreak of disease, children who are fully vaccinated can continue to attend childcare or school. In Australia, children who have not had all the recommended vaccines will be asked to stay away from childcare or school during an outbreak of disease. These mandatory exclusion periods can last for weeks.

Australian families with fully vaccinated children are eligible for certain government payments including Family Tax Benefit (FTB) payments and Child Care Subsidy payments. Under the national policy known as ‘No Jab No Pay’ families with children who are not fully vaccinated are not eligible for these payments.