The school holidays are drawing to a close and it is time to get organised for the new school year ahead. Along with organising school bags, uniforms and stationery a priority at the top of the checklist is to ensure your child is protected and up-to-date with their immunisations.
“On time vaccination offers the best protection against preventable diseases, and it’s important that parents are aware of vaccine schedules and their child’s immunisation history,” said Dr Ros Webby, Head of Immunisation, Northern Territory Centre for Disease Control.
“On time means on or as close as possible to the due date in accordance with the Northern Territory childhood vaccination schedule.”
Childhood vaccination not only protects your child, it also safeguards others around your child, including young babies and infants.
“Recently there have been a number of cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in young babies and infants in the Northern Territory. Most vulnerable to whooping cough, they are not able to be fully vaccinated against pertussis until they are six months old, so we rely on a well vaccinated community to prevent the spread of disease.”
“Children commencing school for the first time should have received their four years of age vaccination, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and poliomyelitis (dTp).”
Parents will be asked to provide their child’s vaccination record upon school enrolment. This information helps prevent the spread of disease by ensuring that in the case of an outbreak, children who are not protected can be excluded from school to protect their health.
The National Childhood Immunisation Program provides immunisation protection against:
- measles, mumps, rubella
- diphtheria, tetanus
- pertussis or whooping cough
- poliomyelitis
- varicella (chicken pox)
- hepatitis B
- Haemophilus influenzae type B
- rotavirus
- meningococcal C and
- invasive pneumococcal disease.
Additionally, via a school-based program, human papillomavirus (HPV), varicella (chickenpox), diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines are provided in Year 7 and 8. Parents are urged to ensure their child receives these free National Immunisation Program vaccines at school.
Information about your child’s vaccination history can be obtained by calling the Australian Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809 or by calling the Northern Territory Immunisation Register on 08 8922 8315, both during office hours.
Immunisations on the National Immunisation Program are available free from urban Primary Health Centre, general practitioners, Aboriginal Medical Services or remote health clinics.
More information about immunisation can be found on the Northern Territory immunisation website.
Media contact: Sally Edwards 0491 228 375