New vaccination centre opens at Perth Children’s Hospital

A NEW immunisation centre at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) means all children and their families can better access childhood vaccinations onsite to help combat serious disease.

The Stan Perron Immunisation Centre is located on Level 1 of the hospital. The service is free and no appointments or referrals are necessary.

The service is available to all children and families attending the hospital – as inpatients, outpatients, in the emergency department or as visitors.

Vaccinations on the Western Australian immunisation schedule can be obtained, and advice on current immunisation recommendations is also provided if requested.

Health Minister Roger Cook today officially opened the centre, which was made possible by a $2.7 million investment by the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation over the next five years.

The service will work with hospital clinics and services to help ensure that all children who come to PCH have easy access to scheduled immunisations, helping to reduce the gap in WA’s current childhood immunisation coverage.

In WA, 92.5 per cent of children under the age of five are fully vaccinated. Many children attending the hospital are overdue for routine vaccinations, including many with chronic medical conditions.

The centre aims to ensure that these children are able to access vaccines before leaving the hospital.

Mr Cook said the new service would help to protect children from serious illness and make it easier for families to ensure their children’s immunisations are up-to-date.