What are the immunisation requirements for the child care subsidy?

Immunisation is one of those things that sits quietly underneath your Child Care Subsidy. Most families never think about it, because their child's vaccinations happen on schedule and Centrelink ticks the box in the background. But if your little one falls behind, your CCS can stop, and that's a hit to the family budget nobody sees coming.

Here's how the requirements work, how Centrelink checks them, and what to do if you need to catch up.

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What are the immunisation requirements for the CCS?

To get the Child Care Subsidy, children under 20 must meet one of three conditions, according to Services Australia: be up to date with the childhood vaccination schedule, be on an approved catch-up schedule, or have an approved medical exemption recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

This is the national policy often called No Jab No Pay. It covers more than the CCS. The same requirements apply to the Additional Child Care Subsidy and the full rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A, so falling behind can affect several payments at once.

One thing worth knowing upfront: a personal objection to vaccination doesn't count as an exemption. The Department of Health is explicit that only medical exemptions, recorded on the AIR by a recognised provider, meet the requirement.

How does Centrelink check my child's immunisation status?

Centrelink checks your child's immunisation status automatically against the Australian Immunisation Register. When you claim the CCS, you provide your child's Medicare card number and Individual Reference Number, and that's what links your claim to their AIR record.

Every vaccination your child receives in Australia is recorded on the AIR by the provider, so there's no paperwork for you to file. The one exception is vaccinations given overseas. Show the evidence to an Australian vaccination provider, like your GP, and they'll update your child's AIR record for you.

What happens if my child falls behind?

If your child stops meeting the immunisation requirements, Services Australia gives you 63 days to get back on track. Within that window, your CCS keeps flowing while you sort out the missed doses.

If the 63 days pass and your child still doesn't meet the requirements, your CCS stops, and you'll need to make a new claim. Centrelink will only approve it once your child's record on the AIR is up to date, so the fastest way back is:

Talk to your vaccination provider. Your GP or local community health clinic can set up an approved catch-up schedule, which meets the requirements on its own while your child works through it.
Catch-up vaccines are free. Under the National Immunisation Program, catch-up vaccinations are free for young people up to 19, so cost is one thing you can cross off the worry list.
Check the record, not just the jab. Eligibility runs off the AIR, so if a dose was given but looks missing, ask your provider to check it was recorded.

For the full walkthrough of getting back on track, our guide to what happens if your child isn't fully immunised covers catch-up schedules step by step.

The childhood vaccination schedule at a glance

The National Immunisation Program schedule sets out which vaccinations your child needs and when. Here's the current childhood schedule at the time of writing:

Age	Vaccines
Birth	Hepatitis B (usually given in hospital)
2 months (can be given from 6 weeks)	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, Hib; rotavirus; pneumococcal; meningococcal B (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children)
4 months	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, Hib; rotavirus; pneumococcal; meningococcal B (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children)
6 months	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, Hib; pneumococcal (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and medically at-risk children)
6 months to under 5 years	Influenza, every year
12 months	Meningococcal ACWY; measles, mumps, rubella; pneumococcal; meningococcal B (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children)
18 months	Hib; measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox; diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough; hepatitis A (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in WA, NT, SA and Qld)
4 years	Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio; pneumococcal and hepatitis A (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in WA, NT, SA and Qld)
Birth	Hepatitis B (usually given in hospital)

Important to note: You might remember your baby also getting a vitamin K injection at birth. That one's not a vaccination, so it doesn't appear on the immunisation register and doesn't affect your subsidy.

What about No Jab No Play? The enrolment rules

No Jab No Pay is about payments, but some states and territories also have their own enrolment laws, known as No Jab No Play, which can affect whether a child can attend an early childhood service at all. These vary around the country, so check the rules for your state when you're enrolling, and have your child's immunisation history statement handy, because most services will ask for it.

Keeping the subsidy flowing is mostly a set-and-forget job. Your provider records each dose, Centrelink checks the register, and you get on with the school run. And beyond the schedule itself, there's plenty you can do at home to help your little one's immune system cope with the germ festival that is childcare. Our tips for boosting your child's immune system are a good place to start, and if you're not sure what your subsidy should be, the Child Care Subsidy Calculator will give you a quick estimate.