Hi, I’m Dr. Lucy,
I work with lots of families,
and I care deeply about keeping children healthy and safe.
One question I often get from parents
is about childhood vaccinations.
So today, I’ll walk you through
a few common questions
To help you feel more confident about your choices.
Why are childhood vaccinations important?
Babies and young children can get sick more easily
because their immune systems are still developing.
Vaccines help protect them early
before they’re exposed to serious diseases.
They work by training your child’s immune system
to recognise and fight infections.
This helps prevent serious illness
and protects their health in the long term.
Why is it important to get vaccines on time?
According to the National Immunisation Program schedule,
getting vaccinated on time
gives the best results.
The timing of each vaccine is carefully worked out,
to protect children when they need it most.
When most children are vaccinated,
it also protects the wider community,
including babies who cannot be vaccinated
and other people.
And it’s usually still okay to vaccinate your child
if they just have a mild illness, like a cold.
If you’re unsure, it's always best
to check with your GP or nurse.
There is a lot of information online and on social media,
which can indeed be confusing.
If you have any questions or doubts,
the first step is to talk to a trusted health professional,
such as your GP, nurse or pharmacist.
Try to refer to information from reliable sources,
such as health.gov.au,
and make sure the information is supported by medical evidence.
Vaccination is one of the best ways to protect children from serious illness
among all available methods.
Making sure your child is vaccinated on time
helps protect your family
and the entire community.
To get trusted information about childhood immunisation,
please visit health.gov.au/childhood-immunisation
or speak with your doctor
or other healthcare professionals.