Dr Martin Carr and nurse Michelle Tipping with 1-year-old Reece Kettles, before he gets his flu vaccination — one of the ‘extra’ vaccinations not on the schedule. Picture: Zak Simmonds

But making sure your children are fully immunised is critically important.

Before vaccinations were routine, Australian kids suffered through horrific diseases such as polio. Many died from complications of diseases that we barely think about today — and that’s because those diseases are rarely seen; we’ve been immunised.

There are 17 diseases covered under the national immunisation schedule, including whooping cough, measles, chicken pox, and tetanus. The series of vaccinations starts at birth, and many of the vaccines provide protection from a number of diseases in one shot. The vaccines are free under the Immunise Australia program, although if you elect to have the needles at a GP, you might be charged a consultation fee.

By the time they’re at school, kids should have been brought in for their vaccinations at least seven times. During school years, they’ll be offered protection from additional diseases such as HPV.

As of March this year, 93.3% of Australian five-year-olds are fully vaccinated.

But recent outbreaks of whooping cough and measles show that if even a small percentage of the population aren’t covered, the disease can still infect huge numbers of people.

The Department of Health told news.com.au that they’ve set a target of 95% of the population to be vaccinated, as some diseases such as measles are highly contagious and will spread quickly when the population isn’t adequately covered.

And because we haven’t reached that 95 per cent herd immunity, some families are still suffering needlessly.

Tragically in 2015, Riley Hughes died of whooping cough when he was only a month old — too young to be vaccinated.

Baby Riley Hughes died from whooping cough in March 2015. He contracted the disease before he was old enough to be immunised.Source:Facebook

Dr Brad McKay is a GP in Sydney. He believes that it’s critically important that kids are fully vaccinated.

“Seeing kids get chicken pox and measles is just horrendous. If we’re seeing kids who are struggling to breathe, who are coughing, covered in a rash, they’re unable to go to school for quite a few weeks as well, it’s terrible to see that happening.”

He believes one of the reasons some kids aren’t fully vaccinated is a lack of awareness about just how serious some of the diseases are.

“Some people think that if they’re having a vaccine for their kids it’s only going to stop them having a cough or a bit of a runny nose, but kids end up in hospital. They can end up with encephalitis from measles or chicken pox. Even whooping cough can kill young children. The cough is so severe it can even cause bleeding in their lung and in their brain as well.”

Depending on which state you live in, there are several ways you can set up reminders as to when your kids can be vaccinated.

Dr McKay told news.com.au it’s important you remember to get your kids covered at the age suggested.

“It’s really important that you get your kids vaccinated on time, because if they’re given at the wrong time their immune system might not be prepared for it. There are different diseases that will affect different age groups as well. So everything is timed according to how your kid is developing.”

Taking your child to be immunised isn’t fun for parents or kids, but there are ways you can make it easier.Source:News Corp Australia

There are also several vaccinations for diseases outside the schedule that parents can ask their child’s doctor about.

The Department of Health said parents should think about this, with private vaccines for the flu and various strains of meningococcal disease available, such as Bexsero for meningococcal B. They also advise parents taking their kids overseas to speak with their doctor about additional protection for things like yellow fever, hepatitis A, or typhoid.

While all these vaccines do sound overwhelming — particularly when you’re dealing with a toddler who hates needles — Dr McKay said there are tricks to getting through the appointment.

“If your child hates having vaccinations and needles, I would make sure that you’re telling them they’re going to the doctor but I wouldn’t go into a major description about what’s going to happen.”

He added “Bribery is fine. A special treat isn’t going to be the end of the world, and it’s fine to bring in some sort of chocolate or a treat to get them through.”

Time to stock up on the kinder surprises then.

For the full schudule of the National Immunisation Program click HERE.

Twitter: @KateCalacouras