Get a Child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement

In Australia, parents and legal guardians who need to get a child immunisation history statement should look for the official record generated from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). The statement shows the vaccinations recorded for the child on the national register and can be used as evidence of their recorded immunisation history.

There is more than one official way to obtain the statement. The right route depends mainly on the child’s age, whether they are listed on a Medicare card and whether the family can use Medicare online services. This guide explains the durable options without relying on a particular screen layout, which may change over time.

When you need to confirm recent entries, obtain a current copy from an official route. If a vaccination you expect to see is missing, follow the provider-first correction process described below rather than altering the statement yourself.

What an AIR Immunisation History Statement is

The AIR is a national register that records vaccinations given to people of all ages in Australia. An Immunisation History Statement is a record of the vaccinations that have been reported to the AIR for a particular person.

The statement is different from a family’s personal notes or a child health record book. Those records can still be useful for keeping track of appointments and helping a vaccination provider investigate a missing entry, but they are not the statement generated from the AIR. If an organisation asks for official evidence of vaccinations recorded on the AIR, check that the document you provide is the AIR Immunisation History Statement.

An AIR statement may be requested for administrative purposes such as child care or school enrolment. Requirements can vary, so parents should confirm what the requesting organisation needs rather than assuming that every service uses the same process or wording.

Where to get an AIR statement for a child

Medicare online through myGov

If the child is under 14 and listed on your Medicare card, a parent or legal guardian can obtain the child’s statement through their Medicare online account linked to myGov. The statement opens as a PDF that can be saved or printed.

You can also use the myGov app. This gives families another current official route when they prefer to access the statement from a mobile device rather than through a desktop browser.

Because online layouts and labels can change, use the current guidance provided inside myGov, the myGov app or the Services Australia website rather than relying on an old sequence of screenshots.

A vaccination provider

If you cannot use Medicare online, you can ask a vaccination provider to print the statement. This may be a practical option when you are already speaking with the provider about the child’s record or when an online account is unavailable.

A vaccination provider’s own summary or letter is not automatically the same document as the AIR statement. When requesting a copy, make clear that you need the child’s Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register.

My Health Record

Services Australia also identifies My Health Record as a way to obtain proof of vaccinations. If My Health Record has not previously been used through myGov, it may first need to be linked to the person’s myGov account. Follow the current guidance from Services Australia and the Australian Digital Health Agency for this route.

If the child is not eligible for Medicare

A person who is not eligible for Medicare can still obtain an immunisation history statement online through myGov. The Individual Healthcare Identifiers service, usually called the IHI service, can be linked to myGov for this purpose. An Individual Healthcare Identifier is required for that route.

This means Medicare eligibility and inclusion on a parent’s Medicare card are not the only pathways to an AIR record. Use Services Australia’s current instructions for linking the IHI service and obtaining the statement.

Access for children under 14 and young people aged 14 or older

Age changes who should obtain the statement. A parent or legal guardian can get an immunisation history statement for a child under 14 through the supported parent or guardian routes.

For privacy reasons, anyone aged 14 or older generally gets their own statement. They can use their Medicare online account linked to myGov, the myGov app, a vaccination provider or the Australian Immunisation Register.

A parent can still request a copy for a young person aged 14 or older if the young person gives consent. Services Australia states that, when the parent contacts the AIR, the young person must speak with the service officer, verify their identity and give consent each time the parent asks for a copy. Consent for one request should not be treated as continuing access for future requests.

It is therefore worth checking the age of the person named on the statement before choosing an access route. Instructions written for a younger child may not apply after the person turns 14.

What to do if information is missing or incorrect

An AIR statement reflects the information that vaccination providers have reported to the register. If a vaccination is missing or an entry appears incorrect, contact the provider that administered the vaccination first. The provider can check what was submitted and update information within its responsibility.

Services Australia advises that a vaccination provider can correct matters such as the number of doses, vaccination dates or the vaccine brand. If the provider cannot update the record, contact the Australian Immunisation Register for further assistance.

If the vaccination information has been reported but is not appearing correctly, check whether the personal details attached to the vaccination record match the details held by Medicare and the AIR. A mismatch in details may need to be corrected through the appropriate Medicare or AIR process.

A personal child health record, previous statement or provider receipt may help you explain the discrepancy to the provider. It does not itself alter the AIR record, so obtain a fresh statement after the official record has been corrected and confirm that the change appears as expected.

Check the document before providing it

Before using the statement, confirm that it is for the correct child and that the identifying details are accurate. Review the vaccination entries for anything you know to be missing or inconsistent. If something appears wrong, use the provider-first correction route rather than editing or annotating the official PDF.

Keep the downloaded statement as a personal record and share it only with the organisation that has requested it. If the organisation has specified a particular type or recency of evidence, follow its current requirements and obtain another AIR statement if necessary.

Key takeaways

An AIR Immunisation History Statement lists the vaccinations recorded for a person on the Australian Immunisation Register.
For a child under 14, a parent or legal guardian may be able to obtain the statement through Medicare online linked to myGov, the myGov app or a vaccination provider.
My Health Record and the IHI service provide other supported routes in relevant circumstances.
From age 14, the young person generally gets their own statement. A parent requesting a copy through the AIR needs the young person to verify their identity and consent each time.
For missing or incorrect vaccination information, contact the vaccination provider first. Contact the AIR if the provider cannot update the record.

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