The Akidamy Knowledge Platform

    Immunisation Policy

    POLICY CONTENT

    When groups of children are together, illness and disease can spread rapidly. Preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough can have serious health consequences for children, and especially young children. Staff members who work in an early childhood education and care service are also at increased risk of contracting certain infectious illnesses. Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases. Our Service implements the Australian Government Department of Health, ‘No Jab No Play’ policy. 
     

    NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS) 

    QUALITY AREA 2: Children's Health and Safety
    2.1Health   Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and promoted.   
    2.1.2Health practices and procedures   Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented. 
    2.2Safety   Each child is protected   
    2.2.2Incident and emergency management   Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practiced and implemented. 
     

    PURPOSE 

    The purpose of this policy is to provide information to manage and prevent the spread of infectious illnesses and diseases. Our Service has a duty of care to ensure that all children, families, and educators are protected from infectious diseases whilst at the Service. Along with maintaining a clean and hygienic environment, this also includes notifying families and educators when an excludable illness or disease is present in the Service, maintaining a record of children’s and educators’ immunisation status, complying with relevant health department exclusion guidelines, and increasing educators’ awareness of cross-infection. 
     

    SCOPE 

    This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of the Service. 

    IMPLEMENTATION 

    Immunisation is a reliable way to prevent many childhood diseases. Immunisation works by giving the person a vaccine (weakened or killed disease-causing bacteria or virus), against a particular disease. This makes the person’s immune system respond in a similar way to how it would respond if they actually had the disease, but with less severe, or possibly no symptoms. The vaccine therefore leads to the creation of antibodies that provide future protection if the person comes into contact with the disease.  
     
    Immunisation also protects other people who are not immunised, such as children who are too young to be immunised, or people whose immune systems did not respond to the vaccine. This is because the more people who are immunised against a disease, the lower the chance that a person will ever come into contact with someone who has the disease. The chance of an infection spreading in a community therefore decreases if a large proportion of people are immunised, because the immune people will not become infected and can protect the vulnerable people; this is known as ‘herd immunity’. 
     
    Children must meet the immunisation requirements to be eligible for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A and Child Care Subsidy (CCS). As of January 2018, unvaccinated children due to their parent’s conscientious objection are no longer able to be enrolled in childcare. Children who cannot be fully vaccinated due to a medical condition or who are on an approved catch-up schedule may still be enrolled upon presentation of the appropriate form signed by a medical practitioner.  
     
    Management and Nominated Supervisor will: 
    • ensure information about immunisation, infectious diseases and exclusion periods is available to families at time of enrolment/orientation and is included in Family Handbook 
    • advise parents and families about the National Immunisation Program (NIP) 
    • ensure that evidence is provided for each child prior to enrolment that confirms the child is fully immunised for their age or has a medical reason not be immunised (Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) as evidence) 
    • provide staff and families with information about vaccine-preventable diseases 
    • review children’s immunisation regularly, updating the child’s records kept at the service, and send reminder letters and emails to families as required 
    • develop a staff immunisation record that documents each staff member’s previous infection or immunisations (including dates) 
    • require all new and current staff to complete the staff immunisation record 
    • update staff immunisation records as staff become vaccinated 
    • take all reasonable steps to encourage non-immune staff to be vaccinated 
    • document advice given to educators and other staff, and any refusal to comply with vaccination requests 
    • notify the Public Health Unit (PHU) of any outbreak of vaccine preventable diseases (1300 066 055) 
    • notify families when an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease occurs though various channels of communication: 
      • verbally 
      • through a letter from the educator or Approved Provider 
      • posting a note or sign at the entry of the residence 
      • via email
    • notify the Regulatory Authority of any incidence of a notifiable infectious illness or disease acecqa contact regulatory authority 
    • exclude any child who is not immunised from the School if and when an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease occurs to protect that child and to prevent further spread of infection. In the instance of the child being immunised but the immunisation record has not been sighted by the School, the child is to be considered as not being immunised.  
    • advise any staff members who fall pregnant to visit their GP immediately and have a test for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) to check their immunity. Any pregnant staff member who is at a heightened risk will not change nappies and will wear gloves when coming into contact with any body fluids, including saliva 
    • ensure staff and visitors (contractors, health professionals, volunteers, students, committee members) hold mandatory immunisation requirements as set by current Public Health Orders (including COVID-19 mandatory vaccination requirements).
     Families will:
    • adhere to the School’s policies regarding Control of Infectious Diseases, Immunisation, Sick Children and exclusion requirements 
    • provide the Service with a copy of one or more of the following documents: 
      • An Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Immunisation History Statement which shows that the child is ‘up to date’ with their scheduled vaccinations; or 
      • An AIR Immunisation History Form on which the immunisation provider has certified that the child is on a recognised catch-up schedule; or 
      • An AIR Immunisation Medical Exemption Form which has been certified by a GP
    • provide the service with an updated copy of their child’s current immunisation record every 6 months, or when the next scheduled immunisation has been completed. A current AIR Immunisation History Statement can be accessed at any time by the parent/guardian through logging in to their Medicare online account:  myGov website.  
    • support their child’s exclusion from the Service if there is an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease at the Service or if they come into contact with a person with a vaccine preventable disease, even if there is no outbreak at the Service.
    Staff and visitors will:
    (Visitors including health professionals, volunteers, students, committee members)
    • ensure they abide by any Public Health Orders enforced around mandatory immunisation and vaccinations (including COVID-19 mandatory vaccination requirements) 
    • ensure they carry evidence of immunisation of the COVID-19 vaccination or a medical contraindication certificate, as per Public Health Order
     

    INFORMATION TO BE DISPLAYED IN SERVICE 

    INFORMATIONWEBSITE/INFORMATIONPHONE NUMBER
    The National Immunisation Program (NIP) Service   beta.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/nati...1800 020 103 
    Notification of an occurrence of an infectious disease/vaccine preventable disease Notify local Public Health Unit 
    Provide information to families about the infectious disease- 
    Children unimmunised against vaccine preventable diseases must be excluded from care
    		1300 066 055 
    Australian Government 
    Department of Health     		In the event of a community spread virus- (COVID-19) publications from Government agencies will be displayed 
    health.gov.au/resources/collections/coronav...
    		1800 020 080 
      
     
    Australian Government Department of Health- Immunisation saves lives 
    Currently there are different immunisation requirements for early childhood education and care services across states and territories. Information on immunisation requirements are listed below.  


    WESTERN AUSTRALIA (WA)
    Children must be fully immunised to attend early childhood education and care services. 
    A current Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) must be provided to services.   
    The National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule can be accessed and downloaded from:  health.gov.au/resources/publications/nation... 
     

    RESOURCES 

    AIR General Enquiries line 1800 653 809 
    Australian Government Department of Health Get the facts on childhood immunisation-help protect your community  
    Australian Government Services Australia Australian Immunisation Register servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare... 
    NSW Government Immunisation Enrolment Toolkit  
    Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation. (2020).  talkingaboutimmunisation.org.au/ 
    Time Out Keeping your child and other kids healthy! (Queensland Government) 
    Time Out Brochure Why do I need to keep my child at home 
    Victoria State Government Immunisation enrolment toolkit for early childhood services  


    SOURCE 

    Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).  
    Australia Childhood Immunisation Register: humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/au... 
    servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centreli... 
    Australian Government – Department of Human Services: humanservices.gov.au/individuals/online-help/medic... 
    Australian Government Department Of Health National Immunise Program: health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/nati... 
    Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
    Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).      
    Federal Register of Legislation Privacy Act 1988. 
    Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017). 
    Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
    National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS). No Jab No Play, No Jab No Pay: ncirs.org.au/public/no-jab-no-play-no-jab-...  
    National Health and Medical Research Council. (2012). Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.  
    NSW Public Health Act- NSW Government October 2017: health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/childcare_... 
    Revised National Quality Standard. (2018). 
    Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation. (2020). talkingaboutimmunisation.org.au/