Your Child's First Health Check After Arriving in Australia

A guide for families who have recently arrived as refugees or are seeking asylum

Why does my child need a health check?

Coming to a new country is a big change, and health care may have looked very different where you have come from. A first health check helps make sure your child is healthy and gets any support they need early on. It is recommended that all newly arrived children have this check within about one month of arriving in Australia.

This check is separate from any health checks that happened before you left, or during your journey. Even if your child had tests before arriving, they may still need some further checks here.

What happens at the appointment?

The doctor or nurse will:

• Ask about any concerns you or your child have
• Check your child is not currently unwell
• Look at your child's growth (height, weight, head size) and general wellbeing
• Check teeth and gums
• Check eyes, ears and hearing
• Look for signs of past illness, including old scars (for example, a small scar on the arm from a BCG vaccine)
• Ask about your child's vaccination history and arrange any vaccines they still need ("catch-up" vaccination)
• Ask about development, learning and schooling so far
• Gently ask about your family's wellbeing and any difficult experiences, since this can affect health too
• Talk with you about any blood tests, urine tests or stool (poo) tests that may be helpful

You are welcome to bring a support person, and a professional interpreter will be arranged if you need one — you do not need to bring a family member to interpret.

Why might my child need tests?

Some infections and health conditions are more common in people who have travelled from certain parts of the world, and often cause no symptoms at all — so testing is the only way to know if treatment is needed. The doctor will explain:

• What each test is for
• What a positive (or "abnormal") result would mean
• What would happen next if a result needs follow-up

Tests that are commonly discussed at this visit may include checks for:

• Blood count and iron levels — iron deficiency (low iron) is common in children and is easy to treat
• Vitamin D and calcium — especially important for bone health
• Vitamin B12 — some families have had limited access to certain foods
• Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C — liver infections that can be managed if found early
• Tuberculosis (TB) — a skin test or blood test to check for past or current TB exposure
• Parasites (worms) — using a stool sample, sometimes with preventive treatment
• Malaria — if you have recently travelled from an area where malaria is common
• Other tests depending on your family's individual history and where you have travelled from or through

Not every child needs every test — the doctor will adjust this to your family's situation.

What about vaccinations?

Your child's vaccination records from your home country or transit will be reviewed. If records are missing or incomplete, that's okay — your child can safely have a "catch-up" vaccination schedule to make sure they're protected, following Australian guidelines.

What if my child already had health checks before arriving?

Many families have some health screening completed before arrival (for example, as part of an immigration health exam). If you have any paperwork, vaccination books or test results from before you arrived, please bring these to your appointment — this helps avoid repeating tests unnecessarily.

Your privacy

Anything you share with your doctor or nurse is confidential. Information about your health is not shared with immigration or other authorities without your permission, except in situations required by law (for example, some serious safety concerns), which your health provider can explain to you.

Questions to ask your doctor or nurse

• What tests are you recommending for my child, and why?
• When and how will we get the results?
• What happens if a result needs more follow-up?
• What vaccinations does my child need, and when?
• Is there a written summary I can keep for my records?