NSW Health Smartphone App Helps Parents Stay up to Date with Children’s Immunisation Schedule

Have you ever been doing something and had the feeling you were supposed to be somewhere else…only you couldn’t quite remember where?

For the first 12 months of my eldest son’s life, I was so preoccupied with feeding him, getting him to sleep, capturing all the first milestone photographs etc, that when it came to anything else my memory was little better than a sieve. I’d walk into a room to get something, only to forget halfway through the doorway what it was that I was looking for.

“Who put the cornflakes in the fridge?” my husband asked one day with brows furrowed, as I sat in the rocking chair feeding our son. “And the milk in the pantry?”

I looked down at Wade, and he gurgled sweetly.

“Oh!” I replied weighing up the plausibility of blaming it on the dog. “That was probably me.”

With two more children now added to our brood, some days little has changed, despite the fact that the older two boys are now at school.

There is always homework to be finished, assemblies to attend, dress-up days to remember, fundraising money to collect, karate lessons and music theatre sessions to get to, paediatrician appointments, dentist appointments, eye tests…the list is never ending isn’t it?

All I can say is thank heavens for smartphones!

I am always on the look out for apps that I can use to make my life easier and more organised, and this new one called ‘Save a Date’ developed by NSW Health fits that bill perfectly. www.immunisation.health.nsw.gov.au

Falling behind with vaccinations, of course, is not advisable. Timely vaccinations are the best way to protect our children from some really rather awful and contagious childhood diseases. A number of the vaccines need to be given several times to build up long-lasting protection, so completing the full recommended schedule at the recommended times is in your child’s best interest.

‘Save a Date’ allows parents to create a personalised immunisation schedule for their child (or children, you can add multiples) by simply adding their name, date of birth and your GP’s contact details. The app then calculates when your child’s vaccinations are due, and sends you reminders to ensure that they are vaccinated on time and in accordance with the recommended immunisation schedule. You can even call your GP or immunisation provider from the app itself.

Download it here now for FREE www.immunisation.health.nsw.gov.au

Perfect, right?

With the important things taken care of, you’ll have more memory space left for the other everyday things (that nobody else seems to care about), like where the laundry basket lives, what time Peppa Pig is on TV, and who does and doesn’t want peas on their dinner plate.

Now…where did I leave my phone?

For more information regarding immunising your child, contact your GP or visit www.immunisation.health.nsw.gov.au

How do you ensure your child stays up to date with their immunisation schedule?