Immunisation Information

Proposed changes to immunisation requirements

From 1 January 2016, subject to the passage of legislation, immunisation requirements will apply to all children and young people under 20 years of age for: 

• Child Care Benefit

• Child Care Rebate, and

• Family Tax Benefit Part A end of year supplement

These changes will affect customers who receive Grandparent Child Care Benefit, Special Child Care Benefit, and Jobs, Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance.You won’t be exempt from vaccinating your children due to personal, philosophical or religious beliefs. Parents and carers with children who aren’t vaccinated and don’t have a medical exemption won’t be eligible for Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate or Family Tax Benefit Part A.Exemptions for approved medical reasons will continue to apply. If there’s a medical reason why your child can’t be vaccinated, you need to talk to your general practitioner.

Next steps:

• We’ll check your child's immunisation status with the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and, generally, you won’t need to do anything

• If you are currently receiving payments and your child doesn’t meet immunisation requirements or we’re unable to determine their immunisation status, we’ll contact you before your payments are affected

• You can check your child’s immunisation history statement by:

• using your Medicare online account through myGov. If you don’t have a myGov account, you can create one and then link it to your Medicare online account, or

• using the Express Plus Medicare mobile app. If you don’t have the app, you can download it to your mobile device from the App Store or Google Play™

• You can request the immunisation records of children 14 years of age or older by calling the Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809

For more information please follow these links below: 

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/subjects
/immunising-your-children#a5

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare
/australian-childhood-immunisation-register