Childcare and early childhood educators
For educators in long day care, family day care, kinder and OSHC — plus the No Jab No Play rule for children
Educators in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings face a distinct combination: occupational recommendations for their own protection, plus the Victorian No Jab No Play rule that affects which children can enrol. These are two separate things — this page covers both.
If you work in long day care, family day care, kindergarten, occasional care, or outside-school-hours care for children of ECEC age, the recommendations below apply to you. If you are a parent or guardian needing the No Jab No Play AIR statement for your child, jump to that section.
What you need to demonstrate
Listed as immunity to demonstrate, not shots to receive — many adults have evidence of immunity already (from childhood vaccination, prior serology or AIR records) and need only the gaps filled.
Required
For children attending ECEC — No Jab No Play AIR statement
A current AIR Immunisation History Statement is the only accepted proof of vaccination status for ECEC enrolment in Victoria. The statement must show the child is up to date for their age or has an approved exemption. This is a child requirement, not an educator one — but educators encounter it constantly.
Annual influenza vaccination
Recommended for ECEC workers under the Australian Immunisation Handbook occupational schedule. Not legally mandated for educators, but increasingly required by employer policy.
Strongly recommended
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
Two documented doses or serology. Outbreaks in ECEC settings are particularly disruptive and pose risk to under-vaccinated children.
Varicella (chickenpox)
Two doses or serology. Educators have constant exposure risk and shed virus prolifically when infected.
Whooping cough (dTpa)
Single adult dose every 10 years. Critical for educators in baby and toddler rooms.
Hepatitis A
Recommended for staff with regular nappy-changing duties (long day care, family day care). Two doses, 6–12 months apart.
Hepatitis B
Recommended for staff with potential exposure to blood (first aid, biting incidents). Three-dose course.
Legal basis
No Jab No Play (the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (No Jab, No Play) Act 2015) requires children attending ECEC to demonstrate current immunisation status via an AIR Immunisation History Statement, an approved exemption, or evidence they are on an active catch-up schedule. This applies to long day care, kindergarten, family day care, and occasional care. It does NOT apply to school-age children attending primary or secondary school. Educator vaccination is governed by the Australian Immunisation Handbook occupational recommendations and the OHS Act 2004 duty of care, not by No Jab No Play.
COVID-19 status (Victoria, October 2025)
The Victorian Secretary Direction for COVID-19 vaccination in ECEC settings was revoked in October 2025. Individual ECEC providers may continue to require COVID-19 vaccination through their own workforce policy. Check your employer.
What your employer needs to see
For every occupational requirement above, the accepted proof in Victoria is the same single document: your AIR Immunisation History Statement. You download it yourself and provide it to your employer — they do not access the Australian Immunisation Register directly.
- 1
Sign in to myGov
Visit my.gov.au and sign in (or create an account). Link the Medicare service if it isn't already linked.
- 2
Open the Australian Immunisation Register
From the Medicare service menu, open Immunisation history. Or download the Medicare Express Plus app and find the same screen there.
- 3
Download the Immunisation History Statement (PDF)
Click "View immunisation history statement" — a PDF generates with every dose, batch number, date and provider. Send this to your employer.
Ready to bring your record up to date?
Walk in, or book a guaranteed time online via Priceline's booking system.
What we do in one visit, what we refer
We're honest about where the pharmacy scope ends. Some checks (e.g. serology blood tests, post-exposure prophylaxis) need a GP, pathology service or hospital — and we'll tell you that on the day.
In one visit at our clinic
- For educators: annual flu, MMR catch-up (free for adults 20–59 in VIC), dTpa, varicella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and COVID-19 — all in a single appointment where possible.
- For parents/guardians needing the AIR Immunisation History Statement: in-person help retrieving it via myGov or the Medicare Express Plus app — no appointment needed.
- For children aged 5+: catch-up vaccinations to bring them up to date on the AIR for No Jab No Play compliance.
Referred elsewhere
- Under-5 vaccinations — referred to your GP or council immunisation service (we are out of scope for children under 5).
- Approved-exemption documentation — your GP can certify a medical exemption; conscientious objection is no longer accepted under No Jab No Play.
- Hepatitis B serology blood test — your GP or pathology collection centre.
FAQs about childcare & ecec vaccinations
My child is 3 and starts kinder next week. Can you vaccinate them?
No — pharmacist immunisers in Victoria are scoped from age 5 and over. For your 3-year-old, see your GP or the Brimbank Council immunisation service. We can help you get the AIR Immunisation History Statement for the enrolment paperwork.
I'm a kinder teacher — do I have to get the flu shot?
It's strongly recommended under the Handbook occupational schedule. Whether it's legally mandatory depends on your specific employer's policy — most large ECEC providers (Goodstart, KU, council-run kinders) now require it.
My child has an active catch-up schedule. Can they still enrol?
Yes — children on an approved catch-up schedule can enrol. The AIR Immunisation History Statement will indicate this. You'll need to keep up with the scheduled doses.
How do I get the AIR statement for my child's enrolment?
Sign in to myGov, link your Medicare service, and open the Australian Immunisation Register from the Medicare service menu. Or download the Medicare Express Plus app and view the statement there. We can walk you through it in person — no appointment needed.
What if my child's overseas vaccinations aren't on the AIR?
Bring the original overseas record to us. For children aged 5 and over we can verify the doses and submit them to the AIR for a $25 fee. For under-5 children, your GP needs to do this — but we can show you exactly what to ask for.
Sources and further reading
- Australian Immunisation Handbook — Vaccination for people at occupational risk
- Victorian Department of Health — Health-care worker immunisation
- Better Health Channel — Immunisation and the workplace
- Services Australia — Getting your Immunisation History Statement
- NCIRS — National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
General information only — not personal medical advice. Vaccines are described by disease or category in line with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code. Your AHPRA-registered immuniser confirms what applies to you at the pre-vaccination screening.
Book your childcare & ecec appointment
Bring your AIR statement and any past records — we'll fill the gaps in one visit where we can.
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