Ahead of the No Jab, No Play laws coming into force on 1 January, the Andrews Labor Government today launched a new app that helps remind busy parents when their young children are due for a vaccination.
Under the tough new laws, all Victorian children must be fully vaccinated to attend childcare and kindergarten. Vaccinations provide young children with protection against serious and potentially life-threatening diseases, and help control and manage public health risks.
The new app, VaxOnTime, has been developed ahead of the new laws coming into effect and in response to one of the most common reasons parents cite for falling behind in vaccinations – they simply forget.
An estimated 20 per cent of parents forget when their children are due for a vaccination, particularly as vaccines become more spread out. From birth to five years of age, once home from hospital, there are six age-points when a child becomes due for vaccination.
The app prompts parents with an immunisation due-date reminder, helps them find and make an appointment with the nearest immunisation provider, and links to trusted information on the Better Health Channel.
The No Jab No Play laws follow the Labor Government bringing back free whooping cough vaccinations for expectant and new parents, and their partners, after it was cruelly axed by the former Liberal Government.
Today, the Government also released the latest Australian Childhood Immunisation Register figures that show 93.2 per cent of Victorian five-year-olds were fully immunised compared to the national average of 92.6 per cent.
While these are positive figures, immunisation coverage of 95 per cent is necessary to halt the spread of particularly virulent diseases such as measles.
The Local Government Areas with the lowest rates of immunised five-year olds include:
- Mansfield – 72.2 %
- Strathbogie – 85 %
- Loddon – 85.1 %
- Hepburn – 86.0 %
- Melbourne – 87.1%
VaxOnTime is available for download at Apple Store, Google Play and Windows. For more information visit
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
“Refusing to vaccinate your child not only endangers their health, but the health of every other child in our community.”
“Our new app is a handy prompt to help busy parents make sure their child’s vaccinations are up to date.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Brunswick Jane Garrett
“The science is clear – immunisations save lives. They are free and protect our children from dangerous life-threatening diseases.”
Australian Childhood Immunisation Register – September 2015
Victorian LGA rates for five year olds
| Local Government Area (LGA) | % Fully Immunised | Local Government Area (LGA) | % Fully Immunised |
| Alpine (S) | 93.75 | Melbourne (C) | 87.06 |
| Ararat (RC) | 96.15 | Melton (S) | 95.82 |
| Ballarat (C) | 94.93 | Mildura (RC) | 90.76 |
| Banyule (C) | 95.17 | Mitchell (S) | 93.08 |
| Bass Coast (S) | 88.51 | Moira (S) | 94.68 |
| Baw Baw (S) | 93.92 | Monash (C) | 92.81 |
| Bayside (C) | 92.05 | Moonee Valley (C) | 95.81 |
| Benalla (RC) | 93.10 | Moorabool (S) | 92.04 |
| Boroondara (C) | 93.08 | Moreland (C) | 94.06 |
| Brimbank (C) | 93.05 | Mornington Peninsula (S) | 92.58 |
| Buloke (S) | 100.00 | Mount Alexander (S) | 90.70 |
| Campaspe (S) | 91.34 | Moyne (S) | 95.52 |
| Cardinia (S) | 94.82 | Murrindindi (S) | 92.50 |
| Casey (C) | 93.57 | Nillumbik (S) | 94.09 |
| Central Goldfields (S) | 91.89 | Northern Grampians (S) | 90.32 |
| Colac-Otway (S) | 92.19 | Port Phillip (C) | 90.87 |
| Corangamite (S) | 92.31 | Pyrenees (S) | 86.36 |
| Darebin (C) | 89.47 | Queenscliffe (B) | 100.00 |
| East Gippsland (S) | 92.44 | South Gippsland (S) | 97.70 |
| Frankston (C) | 92.77 | Southern Grampians (S) | 88.89 |
| Gannawarra (S) | 88.24 | Stonnington (C) | 92.80 |
| Glen Eira (C) | 94.23 | Strathbogie (S) | 85.00 |
| Glenelg (S) | 90.20 | Surf Coast (S) | 91.11 |
| Golden Plains (S) | 94.12 | Swan Hill (RC) | 89.87 |
| Greater Bendigo (C) | 93.72 | Towong (S) | 92.86 |
| Greater Dandenong (C) | 87.82 | Wangaratta (RC) | 97.59 |
| Greater Geelong (C) | 94.99 | Warrnambool (C) | 94.25 |
| Greater Shepparton (C) | 91.06 | Wellington (S) | 94.81 |
| Hepburn (S) | 86.00 | West Wimmera (S) | 90.00 |
| Hindmarsh (S) | 100.00 | Whitehorse (C) | 94.14 |
| Hobsons Bay (C) | 94.70 | Whittlesea ( C) | 95.24 |
| Horsham (RC) | 94.52 | Wodonga (RC) | 96.92 |
| Hume (C) | 93.59 | Wyndham (C) | 93.84 |
| Indigo (S) | 90.91 | Yarra (C) | 90.86 |
| Kingston (C) | 93.59 | Yarra Ranges (S) | 91.34 |
| Knox (C) | 92.81 | Yarriambiack (S) | 95.00 |
| Latrobe (C) | 95.63 | ||
| Loddon (S) | 85.71 | ||
| Macedon Ranges (S) | 92.75 | ||
| Manningham (C) | 90.14 | ||
| Mansfield (S) | 72.22 | ||
| Maribyrnong (C) | 91.87 | ||
| Maroondah (C) | 94.00 |
Reviewed 10 February 2021