New regulations will require childcare services, kindergartens and schools in WA to collect and, in some cases, report on the immunisation status of all students from January 1, 2019.
The information will help families ensure their children are protected against vaccine preventable diseases.
The person in charge of a childcare service, kindergarten or school can be fined $1,000 if they allow a child to attend the facility in defiance of a direction from the Chief Health Officer.
To implement phase two of No Jab No Play, the state government will introduce legislation to allow the officer to exclude children who are not fully vaccinated from enrolling in childcare services and kindergarten.
Health Minister Roger Cook said WA was still seeing children who were not fully immunised, putting other children and the community at risk.
“These changes will allow the Department of Health to readily access immunisation-related data and to support families to ensure their children are up to date with their vaccinations,” he said.
Education Minister Sue Ellery said the measures would increase childhood vaccination rates to ensure the safety of WA schoolchildren.
“In 2017, WA recorded the lowest immunisations coverage for two-year-olds of 89.1 per cent,” she said.
“The No Jab No Play policy will ensure vaccination rates for our youngest and most vulnerable children are lifted.”
The free WA childhood immunisation program protects children from 16 vaccine preventable diseases.
For more information, visit http://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Healthy-living/Immunisation.
Parents can check their child’s immunisation history on the Medicare Australia website.
