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What you need to do
To meet the immunisation requirements, children younger than 20 need to do any of the following:
- meet the Department of Health and Aged Care’s age appropriate early childhood vaccination schedule
- be on an approved catch-up schedule in line with the Department of Health and Aged Care’s current Australian Immunisation Handbook
- have an approved medical exemption recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
How we check
When you claim Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Subsidy we’ll ask you to provide both your child’s:
- Medicare Card number
- Individual Reference Number - this is the number next to their name on your Medicare card.
We’ll use these details to check with the AIR that they meet immunisation requirements.
If your child isn’t eligible for a Medicare card, tell us when you complete your claim.
You don’t need to tell us when your child:
- gets a vaccination
- is up to date with their vaccinations
- starts a catch up schedule.
Your child’s immunisation history statement will show what’s recorded on the AIR.
How this can affect your payments
Your child must meet immunisation requirements to get:
- Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS)
- the full rate of FTB Part A.
Child Care Subsidy
If you get this and your child stops meeting these requirements, you have 63 days to start meeting them again. If you don’t, your subsidy will stop and you’ll need to submit a new claim for CCS. We can only approve your claim once your child’s immunisation status is up to date with the AIR.
FTB Part A
We may reduce your FTB Part A payments if your child doesn’t meet the immunisation requirements. Your payments may reduce by up to $34.44 per fortnight. This will apply for each child that doesn’t meet the requirements.
We’ll check that we’ve paid you the correct rate of FTB when we balance your payment. We balance your payment at the end of the financial year.
For lump sum claims, we’ll check your child’s immunisation status when we process the claim. If your child doesn’t meet the requirements, we’ll reduce your payment of FTB Part A. We’ll reduce this for the entire lump sum claim period.
You don’t need to tell us your child meets the immunisation requirements. We’ll get this information from the AIR. We’ll send you a letter if your child’s vaccinations aren’t up to date. The letter will tell you what you need to do before it affects your payment.
How to keep up to date
You must make sure your child is up to date with their vaccinations to meet the requirements. Your vaccination provider will update the AIR.
If your child misses any vaccinations, talk to your vaccination provider. For example, a general practitioner or community health clinic. They can arrange a catch up schedule. You can check which vaccinations your child needs to get in the National Immunisation Program Schedule on the Department of Health and Aged Care website. This schedule needs to be in line with the current Department of Health and Aged Care’s Australian Immunisation Handbook.
What if your child was vaccinated overseas
You need to take evidence of this to your vaccination provider in Australia. They’ll update the AIR for you.
Help may be available to have your child’s immunisation evidence translated. Read about the Free Translating Service on the Department of Home Affairs website.
When there’s a medical reason your child can’t be immunised
There must be a valid medical reason not to get a vaccine. Read about reasons for immunisation medical exemptions and who can grant immunisation medical exemptions.