About our immunisation and vaccination service
Immunisation is one of the most effective public health methods, it helps to prevent and protect our community from diseases. Hunter New England Population Health provides support and information to providers and the general community about immunisation.
We can help you with:
- information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- information for health professionals
- free immunisation clinics
- information for school vaccinations.
Understanding vaccinations
Get the facts - immunisation facts in 90 seconds
Information for parents and communities
Free immunisation clinics
Immunisation protects the community against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Each vaccine plays an important role, so timely vaccination is the best way to protect your child. The immunisation schedule provides a summary of the vaccines that your child needs and the ages at which they should be given.
Immunisation schedule
The child immunisation schedule for NSW is at:
- 6 weeks
- 4 months
- 6 months
- 12 months
- 18 months
- 4 years.
Clinic locations and dates
We offer free immunisation at several facilities throughout the Hunter New England region.
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armidale Community Health Freda Mott Child and Family Health Centre Corner of Barney and O'Dell Streets, Armidale NSW 2350 | Phone: (02) 6776 9897 |
| |
| Arrive no later than half an hour before closing time. | |||
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont District Hospital 16 Croudace Bay Rd, Belmont NSW | Phone: (02) 4923 6920 | Open on the 4th Thursday of each month, from 9am - 1pm.
| |
| Parking is available for $4. | |||
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessnock Community Health Cessnock Hospital View St, Cessnock, NSW 2325 | Phone: (02) 4991 0438 | Clinics occur every 2 weeks on a Wednesday. |
| Location | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown Square (Level 2 - near the secret garden play area) Pearson St, Charlestown, NSW | Phone: (02) 4923 6920 | 2nd Thursday of each month, 9am - 1pm and 2pm - 4pm.
|
| Location | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child and Family Health Centre 5 Minmi Rd (next to library) | Phone: (02) 4923 6920 | 1st Wednesday of each month, 9am - 1pm.
|
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forster Community Health Centre 14 Breese Parade, Forster NSW | Phone: (02) 6539 6300 | Call before each clinic to check the date and time. Thursdays between 2 - 4pm. No clinics on Public Holidays. |
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurri Kurri Community Health Centre Lang St (next to the hospital) Kurri Kurri, NSW 2325 | Phone: (02) 4936 3282 | Call before each clinic to check date and time. Clinics occur fortnightly on a Wednesday. |
| Location | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gillieston Heights Community Hub 25 Redwood Drive, Gillieston Heights. | Phone: (02) 4934 9700 |
|
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morisset Multi-Purpose Centre 143 Dora St, Morisset, NSW | Phone: (02) 4923 6920 | 3rd Thursday of each month, 9am - 11am (depending on bookings).
|
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Terrace Community Health Centre 4 Jacaranda Ave, Raymond Terrace, NSW | Phone: (02) 4923 6920 | 2nd Tuesday of each month, 9am - 11am (depending on bookings).
|
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singleton Community Health Centre (located with Singleton Hospital) Boonal St, Singleton, NSW 2230 | Phone: (02) 6571 9248 | Call before each clinic to check date and time. |
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamworth Early Childhood Clinic 16 Kathleen St, Tamworth, NSW | Phone: (02) 6767 8100 | Call before each clinic to check date and time. Clinics occur on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. |
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamworth Community Health Centre Family care Cottage 16 Kathleen St, South Tamworth | Phone: (02) 6767 8159 | Call before each clinic to check date and time. Clinics occur on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month (excluding public holidays). |
Clinic schedule may vary in December and January. Confirm when booking your appointment.
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taree Community Health Centre 64 Pulteney St, Taree | Phone: (02) 6592 9315 | Call before each clinic to check date and time.
|
| Location | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Polyclinic 6 James St, Toronto, NSW 2283 | Phone (02) 4923 6920 | 1st Thursday of each month.
|
| Facility | Contact | Details | Appointment required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waratah Child and Family Health Centre Waratah Health Campus 149 Turton Rd, Waratah, NSW 2298 | Phone: (02) 4923 6920 | 3rd Wednesday of each month.
|
School vaccinations
Vaccination is a safe an effective way to protect your child from serious illness now and later in life. In NSW free routine vaccinations to students in year's 7 and 10 at school by specially trained registered nurses. You must provide consent for your child to receive free vaccinations at school.
NSW Health works with schools to offer the recommended vaccines. You can find out more about the NSW school vaccination program.
Students who miss a vaccine due to absence on the day of the nurses' visit will be offered a catch-up vaccination. Where this is not possible, parents will be advised that free a catch-up vaccine is available at their local GP.
Schools only need the records for your child up to the age of 4 years, as this was their primary vaccination course. Schools don't need records of vaccinations given within the school program.
Information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
The Aboriginal Immunisation Program is designed to contact parents, families and carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children before their immunisations are due.
We offer telephone support to you and your family, as part of the Aboriginal Immunisation Program. We also send out text message reminders before each immunisation milestone.
We can let you know about resources and services in your area so your child can be immunised. Or if your child has been immunised we can help adjust their immunisation record on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
This is how we will contact you and what we will offer:
- telephone support: pre-call
- send text message reminders
- send out immunisation history statements
- connect families with free immunisation clinics.
Helpful links
- Immunisation for Aboriginal and Torress Strait Islander Peoples program
- Vaccination for Our Mob
- free HNE immunisation clinics
Contact PHU Aboriginal immunisation
Public Health Unit Aboriginal Immunisation Health Workers:
- Natalie Allan - Tamworth Office, (02) 6764 8037
- Paula Tayloe - Wallsend Office, (02) 4924 6664.
Information for health professionals
The Public Health Unit provides general advice and information on adult and childhood immunisation to healthcare providers, excluding travel vaccinations. We also follow up on reports of adverse reactions to vaccinations which medical practitioners and hospitals are required to notify under the Public Health Act 2010.
You can find out more about vaccine preventable diseases in the Australian immunisation handbook.
Contact Hunter New England Immunisation
For more information you can call us on: (02) 4924 6477 or email us at:
Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI)
Find out more about what an adverse event following an immunisation is, including how to report an AEFI:
Contact HNE AEFI: HNELHD-PopHealthAEFI@health.nsw.gov.au
HNE PHU phone: 1300 066 055
Find out more about catch-up vaccinations for refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia as well as information on additional free vaccines provided in NSW:
Cold chain is a system of transporting and storing vaccines within the safe temperature range of +2C to +8C. Find out more about storing vaccines, cold chain management and managing a cold chain breach:
Find out more information for immunisation providers, including:
- vaccination authorities
- e-learning modules for Australian immunisation Register users
- clinical information.
You can find out more about:
Contact the PHU on (02) 4924 6477 immediately to report potential contact with bats in Australia or mammals overseas.
Information required to initially report contact:
- Name, DOB, contact number
- Details of animal and type of contact
- Immunosuppression
- Weight
- Previous vaccination
Do not send patients to emergency departments. There is no maximum time between exposure and treatment.
Find out more about rabies and other lyssavirus infections.
Find out more about vaccine ordering and management including:
All appointments require a valid referral, using the Immunisation referral form.
Use SeNT eReferral to send referrals to the Hunter New England LHD. If your GP management system does not support SeNT, you can fax the referral to (02) 4922 3904.
About allergy and immunology
Caring for a child with an allergic disease or immunological disorder can be challenging and may have a significant impact on your child and family's quality of life.
Our specialist team at John Hunter Children's Hospital are experts in providing a diagnosis and creating a treatment specifically for your child's specific needs. Our team will help you understand and manage your child's condition.
Our caring and passionate team can help children with:
- food allergies and risk of anaphylaxis
- asthma
- eczema
- allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
- eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)
- autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders
- recurrent infections and suspected primary immune deficiency
- vaccine related adverse events
- medication allergies.
Contact allergy and immunology
John Hunter Children's Hospital administration
Monday to Friday, 8am - 4.30pm
Ph: (02)4921 3670 for all appointment enquiries
Outside of hours contact John Hunter Hospital on (02) 4921 3000.
Our allergy and immunology team
We have a caring team of allergist and immunologist specialists and clinical nurses.
- Dr Rani Bhatia - senior staff specialist allergist and immunologist
- Dr Kahn Preece - staff specialist allergist and immunologist.
Jan Belcher - allergy and immunology clinical nurse consultant
Rachael Phillips - allergy and immunology clinical nurse specialist
Janey Foote - administration assistant.
Allergy and immunology additional resources
We have a range of factsheets with helpful diet and how-to information about various allergies.
- Food allergies and anaphylaxis - information for schools (PDF 57.18KB).
- Egg allergy and egg free diet (PDF 564.01KB)
- EpiPen use (PDF 721.54KB)
- Food allergies and eczema (PDF 524.2KB)
- Fruit and vegetable allergy (PDF 648.75KB)
- House dust mite allergy (PDF 517.95KB)
- Latex allergy (PDF 660.3KB)
- Milk dairy allergy and milk free diet (PDF 443.89KB)
- Peanut allergy and peanut free diet (PDF 839.01KB)
Skin prick test
HNELHD Skin prick testing
Information to show you how easy it is to have a skin prick test to check for allergies you might have.
Contact Hunter New England LHD
We welcome your questions, feedback, compliments, and information requests. Contact us, and we'll be happy to assist you. Your input is important to us.
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