Australia + Baby in Thailand + Vaccines

[David48]

Australia + Baby in Thailand + Vaccines

We've had a couple of little terrors and next year they will move to Australia.

The Australian Government requires proof of the vaccines the children have been administrated.

So, my question is to those parents who have had kids and are moving or have moved to Australia how have you provided the vaccination proof to the satisfaction of the Australian Government that your kids got in Thailand?

Thanks in Advance

David48

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[David48]

OH ... to the anti-vaccine brigade ... STOP ... find another thread to express your opinions.

[simple1]

Some background info below. Thai friend with Oz citizenship provided documentation from clinic in Thailand for his one year old baby.

Thailand follows general standards recommended by the Pediatric Society of Thailand when it comes to vaccinations, and this normally commences at birth with the BCG vaccination being administered for protection against tuberculosis or TB. At birth children also get the Hepatitis B jab, which is repeated after one and six months. The DPT vaccination provides protection against three diseases; diphtheria, pertussis or whooping cough and tetanus. DPT is given in a series of five injections at two, four, six and eighteen months of age and again at four to six years of age. The OPV vaccination commencing at two months protects against polio, which is followed by the MMR vaccine, another mixture of three vaccines to immunize against measles, mumps and rubella. MMR is usually given around one year of age, with a booster between four and six years of age. The JE vaccination for protection against Japanese encephalitis is a series of three shots, the first given at one year of age, the second, one to four weeks later, and the final shot at two to three years of age.

All of the above vaccinations are compulsory in Thailand.

[96tehtarp]

I have one log-book which is maintained by our local amphur health department for each of my brood. It is a log-book of every vaccination my children have ever had since birth. It includes a great deal of detail about all the various and sundry vaccinations our tots have received.

These log-books are now in the possession of the school where my children attend. Yesterday one received a vaccination for German Measles.

I am watching this thread closely, as I would like to think that that a translated and/or certified copy of this booklet would be acceptable to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc.

This is a very serious issue for anyone planning to transplant their Thai resident/born children to the west.

Are there any experts reading this thread?

[krisb]

It's the book of the babies medical history they have from birth in Thailand. Just get it translated, officially if need be here in Aus. Even getting the Thai consul here in oz to certify it.

Exactly the same as the blue book we get in Australia. I looked into this when wife was gonna have baby in Thailand.

If you want I can tell you what shots they have in Aus to compare.

David what do you mean by satisfying the Aus Govt with this?

Am I missing out on money?

Edited July 21, 2014 by krisb

[masuk]

yes, get a book of vaccinations given by your doctor or whoever does this, showing renewal dates if possible..

If you're taking any kind of medicine with you, make sure you have a letter from your doctor specifying what the common name is and what it's for.

Customs went right through my box of medicines 3 months back, (arthritis, blood pressure etc) and as I'd forgotten to include the doctor's list, then checked each one out. Thai names are often different to common names given overseas, but the pharmacy name is nearly always the same.

Warning: take nothing edible with you. They seem to love having you unpack a full suitcase and asking what each thing is.

[malcoml]

I have been through this process.

Bring your baby book that has a list of injections.

Get it translated by your doctor before you arrive to Oz.

Some of mine was not translated so the nurse was second guessing.

[chunktal]

Both my girls were given little pink books at the hospital when they were born and all their general medical info is recorded in it each time they visit the doctor. Height, weight, etc and the vaccinations are listed on the last page or near the back and the doctor signs off as these are done. This is pretty much the same book my son got in Aus when he was born there.

Not sure if you have one of these for the kids?

From the NSW Health Department site http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/pages/enrolment_primary.aspx regarding immunisation and enrolment at school, there is a section in the FAQ that says if you have overseas records, visit a doctor in Aus and they can check if the immunisations have been done as per the requirements in Aus and enter the details into the ACIR/Medicare system for the kids (probably need to get them enrolled in Medicare first) and can do any additional vaccines if required. The pink books I've got for the kids lists what the vaccine is for in English from memory (don't have one here to look at) and the doctor in Aus should be able to sort it all out.

Q. What if the parent provides the school with a record of vaccines given overseas?

A. The parent should be advised to consult a local doctor who can assess whether the child needs any additional vaccines. The doctor will then transfer the information to the ACIR and a History Statement can be requested from Medicare.

(Note: haven't done it so not sure of all the steps, it is something I've had to consider also in case we move back to Aus)

[ozsamurai]

David its a little more complex than previous posters have stated, but nothing you can't get your head around. Firstly you need to get online and find the Australian Vaccination Schedule, as simply stated there are some on the Australian version that are not given in Thailand, so you must pay for those separately and specifically request them from your health clinic here in Thailand. When they are administered in Thailand, they go in the book that the hospital gave you at birth. Usually our clinic stick the labels from the actual vile in there (who knows why) and then fills in the next line in the book.

We often go to Oz for extended periods, and on one such occasion, a vaccine was due. I went to the vaccine center, they told me I needed a 'green book' (vic), which of course you get in Australia when your child is born. Not having one of those, they told me to go to the local hospital and get one. I fronted up to the maternity ward, and explained my story, they gave me a few books under the counter. I then took those the the clinic, where they transferred and cross checked all the vaccines from the Thai book. Saw we were up to date, put us on the Vaccine Register and we were set. We now have both the Thai and Aussie books, and get them updated depending upon where we are.

Oz

[mutha289]

I believe that one universally accepted document is the International Certificate of Vaccination, however I'm not sure where you would get one in Thailand.

[ozsamurai]

a side note to this is of course that I thought of this morning is that both my children have their citizenship and therefore are listed on my Medicare Card. This would be your first step..As you are planning to return its an important one as school will not let them attend until the correct vaccinations have been given.

Oz

[David48]

Thanks for all the great replies above.

Collectively they have all helped us ...

[Goinghomesoon]

And if all else fails and you don't have a book, do what we did and get a letter from your hospital or Doctor confirming what vaccines have been administered. We are in the ACT (which issues a blue book) but since we didn't have one that the local govt vaccination nurse (at the child health centre) transferred everything onto a form which I then sent into the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Goinghomesoon