No jab, no play!
All parents/guardians planning to enrol their child at childcare or kindergarten in Victoria must provide the service with:
- a current Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR); AND
- the statement must show that the child is up to date with all vaccinations that are due for their age, or that they are able to receive.
The Immunisation History Statement from the AIR lists the vaccines the child has received and, if applicable, which vaccines are due in the future and when. Medical exemption may also be listed, where applicable.
An Immunisation History Statement from the AIR is the only type of immunisation record accepted by early childhood and care services for the purposes of confirming enrolment and must be provided within the two months prior to the child starting at the service.
Your GP or immunisation nurse will refer to national clinical guidelines to determine what vaccines are recommended at what age, what needs to be on a catch-up program and what is considered a valid medical reason not to be fully immunised.
Once enrolled, you will need to provide your child’s service with a new Immunisation History Statement whenever your child receives or was due to receive immunisation/s.
The service will regularly remind you of the need to keep this information up to date with them throughout the time your child is attending.
If you receive a request from the service for the latest Immunisation History Statement, and you know you have already provided this to the service, you do not need to provide another copy.
The ‘No Jab No Play’ law applies to all early childhood education and care services
in Victoria that provide:
- long day care
- kindergarten
- occasional care
- family day care.
What you need to do
If your child is fully immunised:
On enrolment in an early childhood education and care service, and when your child receives a vaccine/s while attending, provide the service with your child’s most recent Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) as evidence of your child’s immunisation.
- You can print a copy of your child’s Immunisation History Statement from your myGov account
- the Express Plus Medicare mobile app
- Call the AIR on phone 1800 653 809
- visit a Medicare or Centrelink office.
Families who are not eligible to hold a Medicare card can ask their immunisation provider to print an Immunisation History Statement or they must call the AIR to request an Immunisation History Statement to be posted (up to 2 weeks for delivery).
A Translating and Interpreting Service is available by calling 131 450, Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:45pm.
If your child is not fully immunised (or if you are not sure if your child is fully immunised, or you’re interested to find out more) you may wish to:
- talk to your regular family doctor or locate and speak with your nearest immunisation provider (Select ‘Immunisation’ from the ‘Service’ menu)
- read the ‘Immunisation – childhood’ fact sheet to find out what vaccines are due and when
- read the ‘Immunisation – facts and misconceptions’ fact sheet if you have questions or concerns about vaccine safety
- view the No Jab No Play frequently asked questions
- read the No Jab No Play information for parents sheet
- read the brochure ‘Starting childcare or kindergarten? Immunisation information for parents enrolling a child‘.
- Read the Immunisation after enrolment information sheet for parents