Recording vaccines in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)
The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is a whole of life, national immunisation register, which records vaccines given to people of all ages in Australia.
This includes:
- COVID-19 vaccines
- vaccines given under the National Immunisation Program (NIP)
- privately given vaccines, such as for seasonal influenza or travel.
Mandatory reporting
It is mandatory to report the administration of all of the following vaccines to the AIR:
- COVID-19 vaccines
- influenza vaccinations
- all National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccines
- Japanese encephalitis vaccine
Legislative changes mean that from 1 March 2024, it will be mandatory for all vaccination providers to report to the AIR:
- the route of administration for JEV vaccines
- information about the vaccine type for all vaccines prescribed by the Australian Immunisation Register Rule 2015 (this includes COVID-19, influenza, NIP and JEV vaccines).
Under the ‘vaccine type’ field, vaccination providers can choose one of the following options:
- antenatal
- NIP/Commonwealth
- private
- state program.
The antenatal option should be selected when the person presenting is pregnant at the time the vaccine is administered, regardless of whether the vaccine is funded privately, under the NIP or by a state or territory program.
Reporting these vaccinations to the AIR means that the register contains a complete and reliable dataset and can monitor immunisation coverage and administration. It also means that individuals have a complete record of their vaccinations. You can visit the reminder section for information on accessing the AIR through PRODA.
Health professionals should use the latest version of their clinical software to make sure they meet reporting requirements. The legislative changes do not make having a vaccine mandatory, only that vaccination providers must report vaccines they have given.
More information
Find out more about vaccine recording:
- Australian Government Services Australia – Australian Immunisation Register for health professionals.
- Public Health Network Immunisation Support Program.