Immunisation Requirements for Kinship Carers in Queensland

When a child arrives in kinship care, their vaccination history is often unknown or incomplete. This creates two problems at once: the child may be unprotected against preventable diseases, and incomplete immunisation can affect your Family Tax Benefit payments. Here is what you need to know as a kinship carer in Queensland.

The FTB Immunisation Link

Family Tax Benefit Part A includes an immunisation requirement. Children must meet the immunisation requirements for their age to receive the full FTB Part A rate, including the end-of-year supplement. If a child's immunisation status shows as "not up to date" on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), your FTB Part A may be reduced. The effect is not limited to the end-of-year supplement, so it is worth sorting out early.

Accessing the Child's Immunisation Record

Once you have transferred the child onto your Medicare card (using Form MS011), you can access their Australian Immunisation Register record through:

• Your myGov account — linked to Medicare, under "Immunisation history"
• The Medicare app on your phone
• Calling Medicare on 1800 653 809

The AIR record shows every vaccination the child has received at any provider across Australia. If the child was vaccinated but it was not recorded properly, your GP can update the register.

Catching Up on Missed Vaccinations

If the child's vaccinations are behind schedule, your GP or local Queensland Health immunisation clinic can create a catch-up schedule. The National Immunisation Program covers the cost of catch-up vaccinations for children under 20 — there is no out-of-pocket expense at bulk-billing clinics.

A catch-up schedule typically takes a few months to complete, depending on how many vaccinations are overdue and the minimum intervals between doses. Once the child is up to date, the AIR record updates automatically and the FTB supplement is no longer at risk.

Consent for Immunisation

As an informal kinship carer, you can consent to routine childhood vaccinations on behalf of the child. Queensland Health guidelines recognise that an adult exercising day-to-day care of a child can provide consent for standard medical treatments, including immunisation. If the GP asks for evidence, bring documentation of your day-to-day care and ask what the clinic accepts; Form CS4647 is a Centrelink care declaration, not a guarantee that every clinic will accept it for consent.

School and Childcare Requirements

Immunisation is not mandatory for attendance at Queensland state schools. To receive Child Care Subsidy or Additional Child Care Subsidy, the child must meet the Commonwealth immunisation requirements. Services Australia checks the AIR; you can obtain the child's AIR statement through your myGov or Medicare account if a school or childcare service asks for it.

If the child's vaccinations are behind schedule, contact a GP or vaccination provider to arrange a catch-up schedule. If there is a valid medical reason not to vaccinate, ask the provider how to record it on the AIR.

For help navigating immunisation alongside all the other paperwork a kinship carer faces in Queensland, our complete guide covers the full sequence from Medicare card transfer to school enrolment.

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