NSW Health offers the vaccines recommended for adolescents by the National Health and Medical Research Council in a school vaccination program.
Consent for each vaccine must be provided by parents/guardians for students to receive free vaccinations at school.
From 2023 parents/guardians can provide consent online for their child’s routine school vaccinations on the online consent portal. Select login with Service NSW Account.
To provide online consent you will need:
Read a step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online. Translated guides are available in Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese.
If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form – available on request from schools.
Parents can withdraw consent at any time before vaccination takes place:
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus affecting both men and women. HPV is spread through genital contact during sex with someone who has the virus. The virus passes through tiny breaks in the skin and is not spread through blood or other body fluids. Condoms offer limited protection, as they do not cover all of the genital skin.
Most sexually active people will have a genital HPV infection at some time in their lives. While the body usually clears the infection naturally and there are no symptoms, it can sometimes cause serious illness, including:
Vaccinating males will prevent male cancers and genital warts and importantly, will also help to protect females from cervical cancer.
Vaccines work by triggering the immune system to fight certain infections. If a vaccinated person comes into contact with these infections, their immune system is able to respond more effectively, preventing the disease developing or greatly reducing its severity.
An HPV vaccine that protects against 9 types of HPV (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58).
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has reviewed the most recent international evidence and has determined that the recommended dose be changed to a single dose. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has endorsed this change. Some adolescents who are significantly immunocompromised are recommended to have three doses of HPV vaccine. A 3 dose schedule requires an interval of 2 months between dose 1 and dose 2, and 4 months between dose 2 and dose 3.
Significant immunocompromise is defined as those with:
Anyone who wants to protect themselves against HPV can talk to their vaccination provider about getting vaccinated. HPV vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program for young people aged approximately 12 to 13. The vaccine is primarily provided through school immunisation programs.
The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends HPV vaccination for specific groups including:
HPV vaccine should not be given to people who:
The vaccine protects against high-risk HPV types that cause over 90% of cervical cancers in women and also protects against additional HPV types that cause cancers in men.
The latest research shows that the vaccine still offers close to 100% protection more than 10 years after it was given. As cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years, the role of the vaccine in reducing cervical cancer will not be evident for some time.
However, there has been a 77% reduction in HPV types responsible for almost 75% of cervical cancer.
HPV vaccination is most effective when it is given to adolescents before they become sexually active. This vaccine can only be provided at school when consent has been provided by parents/guardians. If you choose to wait until your child is older you will need to make arrangements with your GP or pharmacist.
The vaccine contains yeast, aluminium adjuvant, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate and sodium borate. Additives are included in very small amounts to either assist the vaccine to work or to act as a preservative.
Vaccines used in Australia are safe and must pass strict safety testing before being approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). In addition, the TGA monitors the safety of vaccines once they are in use.
Side effects are commonly mild and usually involve pain, swelling and redness at the injection site. Serious side effects are extremely rare. NSW parents who were followed up in the days after HPV vaccination reported that 9% of students experienced mild side effects while only 0.4% required medical attention. More information about side effects is available in the Consumer Medical Information (CMI) for the vaccine available from NSW School Vaccination Program. Parents concerned about side effects after vaccination should contact their GP who should also make a report to the local public health unit.
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that may result in unconsciousness and death if not treated quickly. It occurs very rarely after any vaccination. The school immunisation nurses are fully trained in the treatment of anaphylaxis.
Yes.
Regular cervical screening (previously called Pap smears) is still important for vaccinated women, as the HPV vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer. All women from 25 to 74 years of age or who have ever been sexually active should have a Cervical Screening Test every 5 years, regardless of their HPV vaccination status.
The vaccine can be safely administered to someone who has asthma regardless of which medications they are taking.
No. Any female student who is, or thinks she may be, pregnant should not be vaccinated. On the day of the clinic the vaccination nurse will ask female students if they are or could be pregnant. If a student answers yes to this question, she will not be vaccinated. The student will be urged to immediately discuss the issue with her parent/ guardian and to seek medical help. She will also be provided with contact details for a health referral service that will provide advice, support and guidance.
If HPV vaccination has been missed at school, catch-up vaccination should occur as soon as possible. Some schools will host catch-up clinics, otherwise parents should contact their local GP or pharmacist to arrange vaccination.
Information about your child’s vaccinations will be uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) so it can be linked to your child’s existing immunisation history.
Parents can request a copy of their child’s AIR Immunisation History Statement at any time up to their child being 14 years of age, and students aged 14 years and over can request their own immunisation history statement:
The information you provide on the Consent Form is subject to strict confidentiality and privacy protections contained in NSW and Commonwealth legislation (see the enclosed Privacy Statement). The information will be entered into a NSW Health immunisation register and then uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) so it can be linked to your child’s existing immunisation history and viewed on MyGov.
Female students receiving HPV vaccine – by signing the Consent Form, you are agreeing to disclose your child’s health information for linkage to the National Cervical Screening Program Register in the future.
More information is available:
