geordiebloke

I've just been reading on another website, that its advisable to
have your children vaccinated for hepatitis B if your coming over
to Oz.
Apparently this can impact on family allowance entitlements

First time I've heard mention of this, anybody else?

Steve

Aquamarine

Yep! It's on the immunisation schedule for all kids in Oz. I am going to do thisNot sure about family allowance thingy though

comet555

My children hadn't had the Hep B shots when we arrived last year. At the time they were ages 3.5 years and 9 months. We've gradually got them caught up to the Australia schedule.

In Australia I think the shots are done at 2 months, 4 months and either 6 or 12 months. They are mixed in with the regular routine shots. In Canada they get the Hep B separately when they are older so my kids hadn't had them yet. The doctors office had to order separate Hep B shots for both my kids and I didn't have to pay anything.

We don't really get much for family allowances but when my daughter started going to kindy once a week I had to show that she was fully immunized or that she was getting caught up. So as long as you're working on it then it shouldn't be a problem for any of the benefits.

northernbird

We just got ours done as soon as we got here. No dramas.

Nerine

Our kids have just had them at school, along with all the other kids.

Rosscarbery

I would get any vaccinations possible done in the UK before you arrive. Easier and cheaper.

If you miss the "usual age" for vaccinations here from what I have been told you then have to pay (e.g. I was told that my 14 year old couldn't have the HepB vaccination at school even though they were onsite doing the year 7s which seemed a bit silly to me).

I also wish that I had got a signed letter from my UK GP listing my children's vaccinations, as the Australian Immunization Register doesn't seem to just accept their red (or blue if older) books so according to the Register my kids are all totally unvaccinated even though I supplied their records to their school. If anyone knows different I would love to hear it as the person I spoke to was particularly unhelpful.

northernbird

Not here in WA. My youngest had hers when we arrived at the local vaccination clinic free of charge. My eldest will have them (again free) in year 7.

My childrens UK and Canadian vaccinations were both accepted here with no bother.

comet555

I haven't had any other those problems, maybe it depends on where you are and which doctor.

When we arrived my kids were aged 3.5 years and 9 months. My daughter has needed her Hep B immunizations and one other routine shot. My son was way behind in Canada and had only had his 2 month shots (long wait time for shots, plus us leaving). So my son has had catch up shots to get him up to date, plus a separate Hep B shot. Everything has been completely free and we've not had to pay a cent. Maybe it's different if the kids are older though?

Also, we brought our little immunization booklet from Canada as proof of their records. It has charts that have been filled in by hand by the nurses whenever they were vaccinated. I brought it to the doctors office and the nurse filled in an Australia chart for both kids based on what they'd done. It was updated very quickly with the Immunization register and I've had no problems getting it recognized.

So possibly there's just some unhelpful or not knowledgable people out there. I would call around and find a different doctor/nurse to help out.

Mumfords

my daughter had hers done last week didnt even know they did them here quite funny really as she went to the doctors for something totaly different and she ends up having an injection never mind just 2 more boosters to go, they also offered us a chicken pox vaxination but she had chicken pox as a toddler

Ann

Nerine

No one has ever asked to see our kids' records either here or in NZ. Son is in year 8 and had his HepB free at school a few weeks back, so maybe different states have different ages?. Daughter has just had her first Gardasil jab, also free at school. They were still charging for that when we left NZ - would've cost us $450 so I'm glad we moved!

There is also a free school dental service up to the age of 14 or 15 in Queensland, they have a caravan which does the round of the schools - DD just had her last 4 molars sealed....for zilch.

Machiavelli

Hi!

When our son was in Year One, he had a 'nurse visit' at school. We sent him to school with his 'red book' on the day she was due to examine him. She said that he should have had Hep A&B. We had to pay AU$180 for vaccine, (three jabs over a period of time) + AU$48 dollars for each doctor appointment to have the vaccine, (three appts). If he had been born after June 30 2000, he would have been vaccinated here for free.

Not too sure if it would be cheaper in UK. They will only provide free vaccine for immunisations that are part of the UK immunisation programme, anything else you would have to pay for. On saying that, maybe Hep A&B are part of immunisation programme in UK now.

As an aside, I am more concerned here in Australia, about children who come from countries who may not have had immunisation programmes. Had we been told at our medicals that our children required Hep A&B to stay 'in line' with Australian policies for immunisation, we would most certainly have done it before we came out here.

On the dental front, I found out after our kids first visit to the school 'dentist' shortly after our arrival that they are treated by 'dental technicians'. There are caravans that travel around the schools, but we have been in two schools now and found that the 'caravan' visits every 18 months. We take our kids to a private dentist every six months, we don't care how much it costs, we just want them to have good teeth and be treated by a qualified dentist rather than a technician.

Hope this helps in some way.

M

Machiavelli

Hi!

What is Gardasil?

M

Nerine

http://www.gardasil.com

Our kids also get their regular 6 monthly dental checkup and and hygienist treatments with a fully qualified dental practice and we have health cover for that. I was delighted that the school service did the fissure sealing for free as we'd always paid for this in the past. I'm more than happy for them to receive preventative treatment from dental technicians though.

When we left the UK a few years back neither Hep A nor B were given to kids routinely, however ours had 'A' shots as we were going to be travelling through Asia, they were free then.

Machiavelli

[QUOTE=Nerine;6188513]http://www.gardasil.com

Thank you for the link!

M