Do you know your kids’ immunisation schedule?

There was no way I could forget my daughter’s six week vaccination appointment. From the day she was born, I was constantly reminded of the importance of these immunisations, whether from doctors, midwives or several colourful posters decking out the hospital corridors.

The actual day that Emmy was immunised will always linger in my memory, thanks to the powerful emotions that accompanied them. It was both a happy and sad moment.

Happy, because Emmy was finally six-weeks-old, and eligible to be vaccinated against devastating infections such as whooping cough, diphtheria and hepatitis B. As I have family who live in developing countries, I never take Australia’s high medical and health standards for granted. I’m grateful for every vaccine available.

On the other hand, I felt sad, as I knew that the needles would hurt Emmy. However, that pain was quick and temporary, and she was back to her normal self soon enough. And I knew that the short-term pain had the best long-term gain possible: protection from preventable diseases.

"Emmy was finally six-weeks-old, and eligible to be vaccinated against devastating infections." Image: Supplied.

The six week vaccinations were an exciting and nerve-wracking milestone for both Emmy and me. But after they were done, the frenetic pace of motherhood made me almost forget all other immunisations that followed in the months leading up to Emmy’s second birthday.

There’s so many crucial vaccinations to remember. There’s the four month and six month booster shots, and then the 12 month immunisations for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), meningococcal C, measles, mumps and rubella. By the time your child is 18-months-old, there’s more booster immunisations, as well as an immunisation against varicella.

Did you remember all of that? Neither did I.

Now that I’m pregnant again, with a baby due within a few weeks’ time, I know that my life will get even more busy and complicated. That’s why the VacciDate app, available for both Apple and Android phones, will be so useful for doing all of that tricky remembering and reminding for me, while also providing crucial facts about vaccines.

I have apps on my phone for everything, whether it’s for shopping lists, sharing photos or to keep track of my pregnancy. So, it makes absolute sense to have an app for one of the most important things in life – my child’s health and immunity against disease.

We have apps for everything else, why not this? Image via iStock.

Immunisation is essential. Each year, around 3 million lives are saved world-wide thanks to immunisation. And particularly in Australia, vaccines are safe and trustworthy, as each vaccine must pass stringent safety testing before the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will register it for use.

The VacciDate app, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play, has everything you need to stay on top of your child’s vaccinations.

It will remind you when to take your child in for their vaccination - and I’m not talking some measly 24-hour notice thing that you’ll ignore. VacciDate will send reminders to your phone at one month, one week, one day and one hour before your child’s appointment. I know I’d much rather be reminded by a helpful app, then wake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking, “Do I need to vaccinate my kid tomorrow?! Or was that Wednesday?”

Not only does VacciDate take care of the pesky organisational side of things, the app also contains information on the benefits and safety of vaccinating, and the possible consequences of not doing so. There’s useful information on the new Childcare Legislation, which could affect your child’s childcare enrolment, depending on whether you’ve remembered immunisation dates or not. This information is rock-solid, and much more reliable than the hearsay you may pick up from playgroup or your local Facebook parents’ group.

While you’re scrolling through social media on your phone, reading an e-Book on your tablet, or streaming TV shows on your laptop, take the time to download VacciDate too. I know that as much as I love having me-time on my mobile device, I need to remember my child’s vaccination dates even more.

Have you ever forgotten your kids' immunisations? What happened?