Childhood Vaccinations: What Every Parent Should Know

Why Vaccinations Matter

Some of the diseases we vaccinate against have become so rare that parents today have never seen them. That's precisely because vaccination works. Measles, whooping cough, meningococcal disease, and others can be devastating in young children. They cause hospitalisation, long-term complications, and sometimes death. The vaccines that prevent them have been studied in millions of children and have an excellent safety record.

The protection isn't just for the individual child. When enough people in a community are vaccinated, diseases struggle to spread. This protects newborns who are too young to be vaccinated yet, and people who can't be vaccinated for medical reasons. It's one of those situations where your child's vaccination genuinely helps other families too.

The Australian Immunisation Schedule

Australia has a free National Immunisation Program that covers most of the vaccines children need from birth through to adolescence. The schedule is designed around the ages when immunity from the mother starts to wear off and when children become most vulnerable to certain infections.

Key vaccines are given at birth, 6 weeks, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 4 years, with further vaccines in high school. The schedule can look daunting when you write it all out, but each appointment usually covers multiple vaccines at once, so the actual number of clinic visits is manageable.

Some vaccines require multiple doses to build adequate immunity. Others need booster doses later in childhood because protection fades over time. Following the recommended timing matters because it's been worked out carefully to provide protection when children are most at risk.

What Happens at a Vaccine Appointment

I'll always check that your child is well enough to receive their vaccines on the day. Most minor illnesses like a runny nose are fine, but we'll hold off if your child has a fever. I'll go through the vaccines being given, what they protect against, and what to expect afterwards.

Most young babies cry for a moment and then settle quickly. Skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, or a feed immediately after can help. Older children usually do better if you stay calm and matter-of-fact about it. I'd suggest avoiding building it up beforehand as something scary, but also not pretending it won't sting at all.

Normal Reactions and What to Watch For

It's common for children to have a sore, red, or slightly swollen spot at the injection site. Some become unsettled or sleepy for a day or two. A mild fever can occur and usually settles with a dose of paracetamol. These responses are a sign the immune system is responding, not that something has gone wrong.

Serious reactions are rare. Signs to watch for include a high fever above 39 degrees, inconsolable crying lasting several hours, difficulty breathing, or a rash spreading away from the injection site. These warrant a call to the clinic or a trip to emergency. In practice, I've given thousands of vaccines and serious reactions are genuinely uncommon.

Common Questions I'm Asked

Can my child have too many vaccines at once? The immune system handles multiple vaccines very well. Babies encounter thousands of new antigens every day through normal exposure to their environment. The number in a vaccine is tiny by comparison. Spacing vaccines out unnecessarily just leaves children unprotected for longer.

Do vaccines cause autism? No. This claim originated from a single fraudulent study published in 1998 that has since been fully retracted. The researcher lost his medical licence. Dozens of large, rigorous studies involving millions of children across many countries have found no link between vaccines and autism.

My child missed a vaccine. Do we start again? No. If your child falls behind on the schedule, we pick up where we left off. The vaccines already given count. Come in and we'll catch up at a pace that makes sense.

Are there children who shouldn't be vaccinated? Some vaccines are not suitable for children with certain immune conditions or allergies. If your child has a significant medical history, let me know and we'll go through their vaccines carefully. But these are specific exceptions, not a general reason to delay.

Keeping Track

Australia's Australian Immunisation Register records all vaccines given. You can access your child's immunisation history through Medicare online or myGov. It's worth keeping your own record too, particularly for school enrolment and travel purposes.

If you're not sure which vaccines your child has had or what's coming up next, bring them in and we can review their history and get them up to date.