DOCUMENTATION OF CHILDRENS VACCINATION STATUS IN CHILD-CARE CENTERS IN VICTORIA

Objective: To assess the record-keeping of child care centres in Victo ria with respect to children's vaccination status, Methodology: A rand om sample of 113 centres from a list of over 800 registered Victorian child care centres received a mailed questionnaire on characteristics and policies of the centre, including documentation of attending child ren's vaccination status. Results: The response rate was 86.7%; more t han 95% of centres had children under two in care. Only 85% of centres kept any record of children's immunisation status, with smaller centr es and class 2 centres (occasional care centres) significantly less li kely to keep records, Records were updated irregularly. Fewer than hal f of the centres studied kept a record of whether children had been va ccinated against Haemophilus influenzae type b. Conclusions: Despite t he importance of documenting children's vaccination status, many child care centres have failed to develop adequate systems to record or upd ate records of children's immunisation. This makes exclusion during ou tbreaks of a vaccine-preventable disease difficult. The ongoing proces s of accreditation may eventually improve performance, but both legisl ation and a better educational strategy to improve practice in this ar ea are needed.