National and state legislation in relation to immunisation requirements for child care

Legislation Where it applies What is it? What to do
No Jab No Pay National

Your child must meet immunisation requirements if you get Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A or child care fee assistance.

Some exemptions apply, but vaccination objection is not a valid exemption.

You can read more here.

To check whether your child is fully immunised, visit the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

If your child is not fully immunised and you wish to receive family assistance payments, contact your health care provider to organise a vaccination catch-up program.

No Jab No Play New South Wales

To attend child care, children must be fully immunised, or on an approved vaccination catch-up program, or have a medical reason not to be vaccinated.

If an outbreak occurs, unimmunised children may be excluded from child care for a period of time.

You can read more here.

Children who are fully immunised will require an up-to-date immunisation history statement for enrolment. You can obtain this from the AIR.

If your child is not fully immunised, you are required to provide the child care service with one of the following forms that has been completed and signed:

  1. An immunisation history form (if on a catch-up program)
  2. An immunisation medical exemption form
  Queensland

Child care services can cancel or refuse enrolment or attendance of children if they are not fully immunised, unless they are undergoing a vaccination catch-up program or have a medical reason not to be vaccinated. Vaccination objection is not a valid exemption. This legislation applies to attendance at long day care, kindergarten, family day care, outside school hours care/vacation care, limited hours care or occasional care.

If an outbreak occurs, unimmunised children may be excluded from child care for a period of time.

You can read more here.

Child care services may require an immunisation history statement for enrolment and attendance. You can obtain this from the AIR. Alternatively, a letter from a recognised immunisation provider (e.g. GP or immunisation nurse) is acceptable.

If your child is not fully immunised and your child care service requires this, contact your health care provider to organise a vaccination catch-up program.

  Victoria

To have an enrolment confirmed for a child in long day care, kindergarten, family day care or occasional care, parents/carers have to 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.

After a child's enrolment has been confirmed, the No Jab No Play legislation does not require services to exclude enrolled children, except in the case of a disease outbreak.

After enrolment, services are required to take reasonable steps to obtain up-to-date immunisation history statements from parents/carers, such as regularly reminding them of this obligation, and to keep the latest statement with the child's enrolment records.

You can read more here.

Child care services will require an up-to-date immunisation history statement for enrolment. You can obtain this from the AIR

If your child is not fully immunised, contact your health care provider to organise a vaccination catch-up program.

 

Western Australia

 

 

Children must have an immunisation certificate that states their immunisation status is ‘up to date’ or that they are undergoing a vaccination catch-up program to attend long day care, family day care, pre-kindergarten or kindergarten.

You can read more here.
 

Provide your child’s immunisation history statement for enrolment, dated no more than 2 months old. You can obtain this from the AIR

 

  Australian Capital Territory

Children do not need to be immunised to attend child care services. However, if an outbreak occurs, unimmunised children may be excluded from child care for a period of time.

You can read more here.

Child care services will require an immunisation history statement for enrolment. You can obtain this from the AIR.
  Tasmania

Children do not need to be immunised to attend child care services. However, if an outbreak occurs, unimmunised children may be excluded from child care for a period of time.

You can read more here.

Child care services will require an immunisation history statement for enrolment. You can obtain this from the AIR.
  South Australia

From 7 August 2020, to enrol in and attend an early childhood service, children must be fully immunised, or be on an approved catch-up vaccination program, or have an approved exemption from meeting immunisation requirements.

You can read more here.

Children will require an up-to-date immunisation history statement for enrolment and attendance at an early childhood service. You can obtain this from the AIR

If your child is not fully immunised, contact your health care provider to organise a vaccination catch-up program.

  Northern Territory

There are no specific immunisation requirements to attend child care services. However, if an outbreak occurs, unimmunised children may be excluded for a period of time.

Child care services may require an immunisation history statement for enrolment. You can obtain this from the AIR.

 

Related reading:

Atwell K, Drislane S. Australia's ‘No Jab No Play’ policies: history, design and rationales. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 

 

 

Last updated August 2023