Starting or moving child care, kindergarten or school – immunisation requirements

If your child was born in Australia

You need to provide a copy of your child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement (see the next section ‘How do I access my child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement’).

Alternative immunisation records (e.g. Purple Book) can be difficult to interpret and will not be accepted by the child care service, kindergarten or school.

If your child was not born in Australia

If your child is not registered on the AIR and they have received vaccinations overseas, you should contact your immunisation provider (GP, Aboriginal Medical Service or community immunisation clinic). They can arrange for non-English records to be translated and also forward your child's overseas immunisation records to the AIR. This update in AIR may take up to a few weeks.

Once your child has been registered on AIR and overseas vaccinations have been verified, you will be able to access your child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement at any time (see the next section ‘How do I access my child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement’).

Children who are not registered with Medicare can still have an AIR record.

Every immunisation your child receives should be recorded on the AIR.

An AIR Immunisation History Statement is automatically sent to you after your child has completed their childhood immunisation schedule.

You can also access your child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement at any time through:

• MyGov (external site), by logging into your Medicare online account. (If you do not have a myGov account, you will need to create one first and then link it to Medicare.)
• Medicare Express Plus App (external site)
• visiting a Medicare or Centrelink office
• calling the AIR enquiries line (external site) on 1800 653 809 for your statement to be posted.

Note: if you think a vaccine is missing from your child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement, ask your vaccination provider to update the AIR. Alternatively, email a photo of your child’s vaccination records, along with their Medicare number and their date of birth to your local public health unit and the AIR records will be updated accordingly.

If any details, such as name or date of birth, are incorrect on the AIR, or if you have recently changed your address, call the Medicare general enquiries line anytime on 132 011 and ask to have these updated.

If you do not hold a Medicare card you must call the AIR on 1800 653 809 to request an Immunisation History Statement.

Learn more about the AIR and how to access your vaccination record.

If you think a vaccine record is missing from your child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement, ask your vaccination provider to update the AIR.

Alternatively, email a photo of your child’s vaccination records to your local public health unit and the AIR records will be updated accordingly.

When enrolling your child, the law says that you must give the kindergarten or school your child's AIR Immunisation History Statement.

This includes when enrolling your child into:

• a child care service (long day care and family day care services only)
• pre-kindergarten or kindergarten
• pre-primary
• secondary school
• a new school.

If your child is enrolling into child care (long day care and family day care services, only), pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, it is particularly important that you provide your child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement to meet immunisation requirements for enrolment under the No Jab No Play legislation (see the next section 'What are the No Jab No Play laws for children enrolling into child care services, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten?').

Generally schools also need to know which children are not fully immunised for their age in order to protect the children in their care. For example, children whose immunisation status is not up-to-date may need to be excluded during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease.

Regulations under the Public Health Act 2016 (WA) (external site) also require people in charge of child care services, kindergartens and schools to share immunisation-related information with the Department of Health, upon request. With this information, the Department of Health can support the families of under-vaccinated children to ensure these children get fully vaccinated, through their local immunisation providers.

See the childhood immunisation schedule to check if your child's immunisations are up-to-date.

For more information, read Your child’s immunisation records – Frequently asked questions (PDF 895KB).

On 22 July 2019, changes to the Public Health Act 2016 (WA) (external site) and the School Education Act 1999 (WA) (external site), came into effect to better protect young and vulnerable WA children and the wider community from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Under these changes, the child’s immunisation status must be up-to-date according to their AIR Immunisation History Statement to be permitted to enrol into long day care, family day care, pre-kindergarten or kindergarten.

Exceptions apply to children who have an approved medical exemption to a vaccine, have natural immunity to a specific disease, are on an approved catch-up schedule, or are identified as an exempt child because of a particular family circumstance.

Kindergarten enrolments

If enrolment of a child attending kindergarten in 2020 or later was finalised before 22 July 2019, the enrolment is not impacted by this legislation.

All new kindergarten enrolment applications from 22 July 2019 must meet the immunisation requirements.

Child care enrolments

As of 22 July 2019, where an application for enrolment has not been accepted and/or finalised, the immunisation requirements must be met.

All new child care enrolment applications lodged by parents/guardians from 22 July 2019 are subject to the immunisation requirements.

For more information, parents/guardians can:

• read the starting child care, pre-kindergarten or kindergarten fact sheet (external site)
• contact their child care service, community kindergarten or school
• email immunisation@health.wa.gov.au

Parents and guardians are encouraged to ensure their children’s vaccinations are up-to-date to avoid their application for enrolment being declined.