ICAS Assessment Standard No.5
Child Safety (Immunisation)
Intercountry Adoption Service (ICAS)
1. Scope
This standard should be read in conjunction with the Intercountry Adoption Service (ICAS) Manual and other
ICAS Assessment Standards
This standard applies to all employees of ICAS, contractors to ICAS and applicants to the ICAS at each
stage of the ICAS process including application, assessment and post placement support.
This standard outlines the ICAS policy position that requires that children placed through ICAS receive the
necessary vaccinations to protect against avoidable diseases
2. Relevant Legislation
.
Section 35e of the Adoption Regulations states:
(e) the applicants have the capacity to provide a stable, secure and beneficial emotional and physical
environment during a child's upbringing until the child reaches social and emotional independence;
The ability to protect children against avoidable disease is an important aspect of providing a stable, secure
and beneficial physical environment.
ICAS is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all Intercountry children placed through the service.
3. Reason for Standard
Immunisation is a way of protecting children against infections and diseases which can be harmful to a
child’s health and well-being. Immunisation is a process whereby vaccinations are given to assist the body’s
natural defence mechanism, the immune response, to build resistance to specific infections. Also if your child
is protected, he or she will not be able to pass the infection on to other people, especially very young babies
who are not yet fully immunised1.
1
Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing www.immunise.health.gov.au
Department of Health & Human Services
A number of immunisations are required in the first few years of a child’s life to protect the child against the most
serious infections of childhood. The immune system in young children does not work as well as the immune
system in older children and adults, because it is still immature. Therefore more doses of vaccine are needed.
There are two reasons for immunising every child in Australia 2:
Immunisation is the safest and most effective way of giving protection against the disease. After immunisation,
your child is far less likely to catch the disease if there are cases in the community. The benefit of protection
against the disease far outweighs the very small risks of immunisation.
If enough people in the community are immunised, the infection can no longer be spread from person to person
and the disease dies out altogether. This is how smallpox was eliminated from the world and polio has
disappeared from many countries.
Parents and other people (including grandparents, carers, etc) who come into contact with young children are
commonly carriers of some childhood infections and should be vaccinated against these diseases. For example,
several studies of infant pertussis (whooping cough) cases have indicated that family members and parents in
particular, were identified as the source of infection in more than 50% of cases. For more information on
immunisations against childhood diseases, visit your local doctor or immunisation provider.
Some children may have received vaccinations whilst they are in care in their birth country, whilst others may
not have received any vaccinations at all. Medical information about a child may or may not be available from
the overseas country. Where the information is available to indicate vaccinations have been given to a child,
there is no guarantee that the immunisations conform to Australian standards, which may mean that a child is
not fully immunised or protected against specific illnesses that can be avoided.
4. Requirements
4.1 Requirements Post Placement
Once a child has been placed, all families are required to take their child for a thorough Paediatric Medical
Assessment at the Intercountry Adoption Clinic, Royal Children’s Hospital or with a Paediatrician of their choice.
Whilst the medical assessment will entail more than an immunisation check, it is at this time that a child’s level
of immunisation can be determined via specific blood analysis. If further immunisations are required, adoptive
parents will be required to ensure that their child receives the required vaccination(s).
4.2 Undertakings
When a child placement proposal occurs, applicants will be asked to sign an undertaking to confirm their
commitment to ensure the child will receive the required vaccinations to be fully immunised to Australian
standards.
5. Procedures
5.1 Key responsibilities and Authorities
ICAS is responsible for ensuring the overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy, review of this
policy and dissemination of this policy to staff, contractors and applicants to ICAS.
5.2
Assessment
Applicants will be required to demonstrate understanding of these requirements at all phases of their
application.
2
Raising Children www.raisingchildren.net.au
ICAS Assessment standard 5 Child Safety (Immunisation)
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ICAS staff and/or Contractors will sight vaccination records and assess that these requirements are being met.
6. Further Information, Resources and Support
 ICAS Child Safety (First Aid) Assessment Standard.
 ‘Immunise Australia Program’ Fact Sheet.
 http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/about-the-program
If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, please phone (03) 8608
5700 using the National Relay Service 13 36 77 if required.
This document is available as a Word document on the internet at:
www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/documents-and-resources/policies,-guidelinesand-legislation/intercountry-adoption-service-assessment-standards
Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
January 2015
ICAS Assessment standard 5 Child Safety (Immunisation)
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