Alison McMillan
Hello, I’m Alison McMillan, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.
Parents and carers want to know what they should expect when their child goes to get their first vaccination.
In this video, I’ll explain how parents can prepare their child for vaccinations, what will happen during the appointment and where they can find further information.
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What should I expect for my child’s immunisations?
Alison McMillan:
The childhood immunisation schedule outlines the recommended vaccines for all children in Australia from birth to 4 years.
For your child’s vaccination appointment, you should take their immunisation or health record booklet with you. You can also bring some toys and books to distract your child.
Depending on the vaccine, your child will generally need to get a needle in the arm or the leg or some drops in the mouth. Your health professional will talk with you about how your child will receive these vaccines.
For babies under 12 months, vaccine injection sites are in the leg, and for children over 12 months, injection sites are usually in the arm.
You can prepare for this by dressing your child in loose-fitting clothing and layers, of course, in the cooler months.
The health professional will be as gentle as they can when giving the vaccines, but most babies and children do cry a little afterwards.
So, distractions like toys and other devices can give them comfort and act as a pain relief.
After the appointment, the health professional will ask you to wait for about 15 minutes before leaving, just to check everything is fine. This makes sure everything is OK before your child leaves.
You can find the schedule and more information at health.gov.au/childhood-immunisation
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Where can I find up-to-date reliable information on childhood immunisations?
Alison McMillan:
Many parents want to know they’re making the right decisions about immunisation.
And it’s important to make informed decisions when it comes to your child’s health and it’s important, of course, to know where the information is coming from.
Information and recommendations based on extensive research can be found at: health.gov.au/childhood-immunisation, HealthDirect and Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation websites.
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health.gov.au/childhood-immunisation, healthdirect.gov.au/immunisation-and-vaccinations, skai.org.au/childhood
Alison McMillan:
You can also talk to a health professional, like a doctor, nurse practitioner, immunisation nurse, or Aboriginal health worker to find out more about immunisation.