Can my child go to childcare with a medical exemption for immunisations?

If your child can’t receive certain vaccines for medical reasons, it’s completely understandable to feel unsure about what that means for childcare. You might need to organise some extra paperwork, but children with a valid medical exemption can still meet immunisation requirements for childcare attendance and Child Care Subsidy (CCS). In Australia, approved medical exemptions are recognised in place of an Immunisation History Statement, as long as they’re properly recorded. Here’s how it works and what you need to know:

What a medical exemption is

A medical exemption is an official record from a doctor confirming that a child should not receive a particular vaccine for medical reasons. In simple terms:

• a doctor has assessed your child
• they’ve determined that a specific vaccine isn’t safe
• this decision is formally recorded

Where it’s recorded

For an exemption to be recognised, it must be recorded in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

Once it’s recorded, it becomes part of your child’s official immunisation history - the same record used for:

• childcare enrolment
• CCS eligibility
• health and safety planning

Medical exemptions are a recognised and important part of Australia’s immunisation system.

When exemptions apply

Medical exemptions are only given when a registered medical practitioner determines that vaccination isn’t safe for a child.

At a high level, this may include:

• a serious reaction to a previous vaccine
• certain immune system conditions
• other medical circumstances where vaccination isn’t recommended

Your doctor will guide this process - there’s no expectation for parents to assess eligibility themselves.

How the process works

1. Your child is assessed by a GP or specialist
2. If appropriate, the exemption is recorded
3. It is added to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)

 For CCS purposes, the exemption must be recorded in AIR.

How exemptions affect CCS and childcare

If your child has a valid medical exemption recorded in AIR, they can still meet immunisation requirements for CCS.

According to Services Australia, children meet these requirements if they are:

• up to date with vaccinations, or
• on a recognised catch-up schedule, or
• have a valid medical exemption recorded

This means your family can still receive CCS (if other eligibility criteria are met).

What childcare services will ask for

Even with an exemption, services will usually request:

• your child’s Immunisation History Statement
• confirmation the exemption is recorded in AIR

This helps them:

• meet regulatory requirements
• understand your child’s health needs
• manage safety within the service

Can my child still attend childcare?

In most cases:

• children with valid medical exemptions can attend childcare
• services are experienced in supporting families through this process

A note about outbreaks

Like all children, there may be temporary measures during disease outbreaks, based on national health guidelines. These are applied to protect all children and educators in the service.

A simple way to think about it

If this topic feels a bit heavy, here’s the key takeaway:

• A medical exemption confirms your child can’t receive certain vaccines for medical reasons
• It must be approved by a doctor and recorded in AIR
• Once recorded, it counts toward CCS immunisation requirements
• Childcare services will usually just need your Immunisation History Statement

For families navigating health conditions, the system is designed to be supportive, not restrictive. With the right documentation and conversations with your healthcare and childcare providers, the process is usually clear, manageable and much less daunting than it first appears.