No jab, no record: Catch-up vaccination of children in immigration detention

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Immunology
• Immigration Health

Background:

• International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) provide healthcare, including vaccinations, to individuals in immigration detention.
• Asylum seeker children are a vulnerable population within immigration detention settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit catch-up vaccination delivery for asylum seeker children held in immigration detention.
• To assess the adequacy of vaccine delivery and recording by IHMS in this cohort.
• To evaluate post-detention vaccination status.

Main Methods:

• Audit of catch-up vaccination records for asylum seeker children.
• Review of IHMS vaccination practices within detention facilities.
• Assessment of vaccination status post-release from detention.

Main Results:

• Inadequate and suboptimal vaccine delivery was observed in asylum seeker children during immigration detention.
• No evidence of IHMS recording vaccines on the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register was found.
• Substantial vaccination shortfalls persisted after children were released from detention.

Conclusions:

• Vaccination rates for asylum seeker children in detention fall significantly below Australian community standards.
• The findings indicate a lack of assurance in IHMS's provision of essential vaccination care.
• These vaccination deficits have implications for national asylum seeker cohorts and individuals in immigration detention.