Kids' vaccinations
 

If anyone is coming to Oz soon with young kids, Australia now requires that all children be vaccinated for Hepatitis B. UK does not do this, or at least didn't before we left.

It is a series of 3 jabs, the first 2 are 1 month apart, then the last 6 months later.

When you get here all child care centres and schools will require proof of up to date vaccinations. You can take your vaccination book to the GP and get them to put your records on the Australian Childhood registration office in Perth. They then send you a document which you can use as proof and keep for records. They also let you know what else you need to have.

Just thought I would let you know as you have to pay to see the GP and pay for the vaccines too. The first Hep B was only $18, but times that by 2 for both kids and consultation of $50 each, it is going to add up.

Queenie

Re: Kids' vaccinations
 

Many doctors, even though don't officially bulk bill all their patients, will do so for children. My two had their Hep B last year and it cost me nothing - not for any of the three consultations (each) nor the vaccines. It's always worth checking doctors' policies on bulk-billing for children, before choosing one.

If the kids get the jabs done at school, as part of mass screening, it also costs nothing.

Re: Kids' vaccinations
 

Not sure if it's changed since we got here, but we didn't want our children vaccinated (MMR etc... concerns.. :eek: ) so went to the doctor over here and filled out a "Consciencious objection form" this means we did not have to have our children vaccinated. We did have to pay privately to see a paediatric consultant to confirm that we were making an informed decision (which we were :mad: ) But it meant that we didn't have to have them vaccinated, so it was worth it. We haven't had any problems getting them into daycare without them being vaccinated, they just tell us that the children will have to be excluded if they have any outbreaks of contagious diseases....(like I'd WANT them there if there is..... :eek: )

Re: Kids' vaccinations
 

If the children are vaccinated en masse at school, there is nothing to pay, even those at private school. A form is sent home beforehand with all the information you need to make an "informed" decision about the vaccination, which needs signing and returning. You can choose to give your consent or not. They routinely vaccinate for Hep B here in WA in year 7. They also happened to do a bulk Meningitis vaccine for all ages in 2003 but my children had already had that in the UK three years previously. I didn't consent to either of these vaccines, but did consent to the booster Tetanus. The school nurse rang me at home to check that I understood why these vaccines are offered blah blah blah but I just confirmed that I had made my "informed" decision.

Today eldest daughter has come home with a form about a new booster DTP vaccine, particularly important because of the increase in whooping cough. This will now be routine for all children in year 8. Is this something the UK is doing as well? Having read the leaflet I didn't realise that the whooping cough vaccine wears off, I had thought it covered you for life. It appears that there are many adults getting the disease and passing it onto babies. So I guess I'd better consent to that one.

Re: Kids' vaccinations
 

Isn't some sort of payment tied up with vaccines - bit hazy on this, but I seem to remember on one of the Oz homeschooling lists something about you not being able to receive some sort of payment if your children haven't been vaccinated?

(I'm also not a fan of the MMR)

Re: Kids' vaccinations
 

Hi dottyspots,
I think it is purposely put to try to mislead people. I too remember reading somewhere that we would not recieve some Centrelink payments if the children were not fully vaccinated, also that we would not be able to enrol them at school without a full and complete vaccination record. (on both accounts we were willing to forgo, as I am opposed to most vaccinations.... :( )
However, by finding out about, and filling the "conscientious objection form" we have not had any problems....The form also had to be presented to Centrelink, and we had to pay for councelling by a paediatrician to make sure that we had thoroughly understood the implications of NOT vaccinating our children ( I have looked into all the evidence for, and against THOROUGHLY before coming to this decision not to)
I think some childcare centres may have a problem with this, but we haven't encountered any problems so far........and yes, we do get centrelink payments too...(I don't think any have been withheld :confused: )
However, the existence of this option is usually hidden somewhere in the small print......... :mad:
Good luck, are you intending to home school then...?

Re: Kids' vaccinations
 

We already home-educate in the UK.

8yr old is planning to go to school in Oz (I'm looking out for Waldorf schools as a possible option), but 10yr old probably won't and 1yr old I want to home-educate too.

My husband had measles on the brain as a child and was gravely ill, but he is still not happy about the idea of our youngest being vaccinated. Both of our sons are on the Autistic Spectrum and regardless of any new claims re. there being no link between autism and MMR, it is naturally, something very close to our hearts.

I haven't done a huge amount of reading, as dd hasn't got to MMR stage yet, I'll be reading a lot more in the run up and also considering single vaccines as an option - although this is something I need to read more about.

Re: Kids' vaccinations
 

Here's some websites for you you look at.........they may help you decide about vaccination ;)
www.jabs.org.uk
www.vaccine-info.com
There's obviously good arguments either way, we decided not to give our children all the vaccinations, and the ones that we did decide were more neccessary to do, we had them done singly. There's some information about clinics that administer single vaccinations on the websites. It's a tough decision to make (I know only too well!! :o) But if you have all the information, for and against, at least you can make your own, well informed decision :)
K n K