NSW Health School Vaccination Program: A guide for schools

On this page

1. About the NSW Health School Vaccination Program
2. Preparing for the vaccination clinic at your school
3. Parental and carer consent
4. During the vaccination clinic
5. Students who missed the vaccination clinic
6. Resources

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About the NSW Health School Vaccination Program (SVP)

NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended and funded for adolescents by the National Immunisation Program in a school-based vaccination program.

Year 7 vaccines

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine - single dose

• This vaccine is important as it protects against HPV-related cancers and illnesses that can affect everyone.
• The vaccine is given to the Year 7 age group because it provides the best immune response and maximises protection against infection.

Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), (dTpa) vaccine - single dose

• This vaccine protects against three illnesses: diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Students usually have a dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine prior to starting school at 4-5 years of age.
• The Year 7 dTpa vaccine dose is an adolescent booster. It is very important to boost protection against whooping cough and tetanus, as this immunity wanes over time.

Year 10 vaccines

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine - single dose

This vaccine is important as it protects against four types of meningococcal bacteria, which cause serious disease that can quickly become life-threatening.

Preparing for the vaccination clinic at your school

Contact with the Public Health Unit or Community Health Centre

• A member of the public health unit (PHU) or community health centre (CHC) vaccination team will contact you to arrange suitable dates for the SVP to take place in your school. Please be aware that the vaccination team will be visiting many schools and will need your assistance to set firm dates for clinics.
• Please nominate a staff member as the primary contact for the vaccination team and provide the contact details for this person to the vaccination team. The vaccination team will then liaise with this staff member about conducting the program, including organising dates, what time is required to vaccinate the students (particularly large numbers), distribution of digital consent information or paper-based consent materials, and requirements and procedures for vaccination sessions.
• Ongoing communication between your school’s primary contact and the vaccination team is important to minimise disruption to the school and to streamline the vaccination sessions.
• If you require extra paper consent kits, please notify your local PHU/CHC school immunisation team by calling 1300 066 055.
• Read the During the vaccination clinic section so you can arrange relevant equipment and know what to expect on the day.
• Review the suggested checklist for planning a vaccination clinic at your school (Appendix A).

Scheduling the vaccination clinic dates

• Arrange vaccination times so that they are not scheduled on days with excursions, sports events or exam sessions.
• When the dates for the vaccination clinic have been scheduled, please advise all relevant staff and schedule the dates into the school community calendar.
• If the date is changed, the relevant staff and the school community calendar should be updated.
• If the clinic date changes, inform parents /legal guardians as soon as possible.

Communicating the vaccination clinic dates

• Please inform the appropriate class teachers of the time, date and place of the vaccination clinic.
• Include an article in your school newsletter and an email to parents/carers of Year 7 and Year 10 students outlining the vaccination clinic date and details, and instructions about how to give consent (sample article included – see Appendix B).
• Breakfast - discuss with the students prior to the clinic and promote in the newsletter the importance of having breakfast on vaccination day to help avoid students fainting. Students will be asked questions by the nurses and may be asked to have some sustenance before their vaccination is given.
• Students are encouraged to drink plenty of (non-caffeinated) fluids, especially in hot weather.

Communicating vaccination information to parents and carers

Distribute the parent information as soon as it is received and as early as possible. This will allow parents time to digest the information and return the consent forms. Please ensure that any special education students also receive the information kits.

If using school management applications, such as School Bytes, Compass, and Canvas, it is critical to ensure that parents understand consent must be provided through the NSW Health portal.

Misunderstandings can arise when parents mistakenly provide consent through these platforms, leading to delays during vaccination clinics.

To prevent such issues, it is recommended that schools:

• disable consent features on school management applications when sending vaccination reminders to parents
• if disabling the consent function is not feasible, ensure that any students consented through these platforms are included in the lists sent to health staff before the clinic date
• clearly communicate to parents in reminders that consent must be completed via the NSW Health portal, with a direct link or QR code to the portal if possible.

Example timeline for distributing information.

Commencement of the term

• Use the “Sample School Newsletter Draft Template” (Appendix B) to send information to parents. Both an email and a newsletter update to parents/carers of Year 7 and Year 10 students is recommended.
• To complete the online consent, parents/carers will need to visit the School Vaccination Program online consent portal .
• For detailed steps on how to provide consent, please refer parents to How to provide consent.
• Social media tiles for use in school communication resources are available (Appendix E).

Four weeks before the clinic

• Send a repeat reminder for parents/carers to complete online consent by visiting the School Vaccination Program online consent portal.
  

Two weeks before the clinic

• Distribute the paper-based "School Vaccination Flyer" to parents/carers. Printed copies will have been provided by the PHU. A digital copy is available in Appendix C for email and local printing.

One week before the clinic

• Send a repeat reminder for parents/carers to complete online consent by visiting the School Vaccination Program online consent portal.
  
• Distribute the paper-based “School vaccination information for students” flyer. This will help inform students about what to eat, wear and expect on vaccination day. A digital copy is available in Appendix D for email and local printing.

Parental and carer consent

To learn more about the NSW School vaccination program, parents, students and schools can watch a short video on Information about the NSW School Vaccination Program.

For detailed steps on how to provide consent, parents can watch the How to Provide Consent video.

To complete online consent, parents/carers need to visit the School Vaccination Program online consent portal

For online consent, parents/carers will need:

• their Service NSW log-in details, Service NSW
• Medicare details for parents/carers and their child.

If parents do not have a Service NSW account, they can create one by visitingHow to create a Service NSW account or by phoning Service NSW on 13 77 88, Monday to Friday, between 7am and 7pm. Accessibility, interpreter, and translation services are available at this number.

Benefits of online consent for parents/carers:

• SMS notification three days before the clinic to remind parents of the vaccination day
• SMS notifications on the day when vaccinations are given
• easy updating of their child’s details online
• faster upload of their child’s vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

Consent resources

Consent packs

Hard copy Parent Information Consent Packs– which include the Year 7 and Year 10 NSW School Vaccination Program: Important information 2025 – are available and can be given to:

• students where parents/carers cannot or prefer not to provide online consent
• parents/carers or students who do not have a Medicare card or internet access.

Note: School staff will still need to collect signed, printed consent forms and return them to the school vaccination team.

Parents can access translated resources in translated in 28 languages.

Online consent portal

To complete online consent for school vaccination,s parents can visit the School Vaccination Program online consent portal.

A step-by-step guide on how to provide consent is available for parents.

Translated guides are available in Arabic العربية, Korean 한국어, Simplified Chinese 简体中文, Traditional Chinese 繁體中文, and Vietnamese Tiếng Việt.

Parent and carer online consent platform

When parents and carers first log into the online consent platform, it should look like the images below:

From the NSW Health link, select Service NSW Account. The Service NSW login page will display.

Note: If parents do not have a Service NSW account, they can visit MyServiceNSW to register.

On the login web page, parents will need to type their Service NSW account details:

• a - Enter your Email
• b - Enter your Password
• c - Select Continue

Consent forms

• Paper consent forms that are provided late (the week of the clinic), should be kept until the day of the school immunisation clinic and given to the vaccination team.
• Parental consent is required for students to receive routine vaccinations at school. Consent can be provided at any time during the school year and on the day of the clinic by phone. Schools are requested to bring all students from the year cohort down to the clinic in stages.
• Authorised nurse immunisers may obtain verbal phone consent from the parent if a student indicates that their parent would like them to be vaccinated. Alternatively, the nurse may give the student a paper-based consent form for parents to complete and return. The completed consent form will be kept until the date of the next school vaccination clinic.
  

Withdrawing consent

• Parents can withdraw consent before the vaccination clinic.
• Parents who provide consent online can log in to the secure NSW Health portal and follow the prompts to withdraw consent.
• Parents who provide consent on a hard copy consent form and parents who wish to withdraw consent within 24 hours of a clinic will need to contact the school directly. Parents will need to write to or call the school to advise the student's name, school grade and those vaccines the withdrawn consent applies to.
• Schools are recommended to use the “Proforma for schools to provide written notification to the Director, Public Health Unit, of any withdrawals of consent from NSW School Vaccination Program” (Appendix F).

During the vaccination clinic

General preparations

• The vaccination team will report to the front office/reception for sign-in at a pre-arranged time to set up and conduct the clinic in your school (usually between 08:30 and 09:00 am). The team will bring all clinical supplies and consumables required to vaccinate students and will take all items with them when they leave.
• The vaccination team will need:
• a well-lit and ventilated room (one large room, larger than a classroom with separate entry and exit, preferably on the ground floor so students are not required to walk up or down stairs to return to the classroom). It is the responsibility of the school to provide an appropriate room
• screens or some other method to assist with ensuring privacy
• 2 mats, such as gym mats for students who may feel faint and need to lie down
• a desk and 2 chairs for each workstation (one chair for the nurse and one chair for the student). A member of the school vaccination team will contact your school in advance to advise on the number of workstations
• an ‘emergency’ area separated from the ‘recovery’ area, which is easily accessible and relatively private (for example, First Aid room or sick bay)
• hand washing facilities close by.

Helping the vaccination team

To ensure everything runs smoothly, the vaccination team will need:

• staff to bring students to the vaccination area
• to reduce anxiety, minimise queuing by bringing one class at a time
• if schools are aware of particularly anxious students, liaise with the Team Leader to vaccinate these students before the main clinic session starts
• distractions such as music, movies or books can help relieve student anxiety pre- and post-vaccination
• staff member/s to supervise the students in the recovery area on the day. Students need to remain seated in the recovery area for 15 minutes after their vaccination. This staff member does not need any special training
• the recovery area should be close to the clinic so that the vaccination team can easily and quickly respond
• the exit route from the recovery area should be located away from the waiting area, where others may still be queuing for their vaccination.

Taking care of students in the recovery area

• Students will be asked to sit in the ‘recovery’ area for a minimum of 15 minutes following vaccination.
• Once the observation period is over, students may return to their scheduled activities. Ideally, a staff member should accompany students away from the clinic area.

If students feel unwell after vaccination

• If a student feels faint or nauseous, lay them down flat in a cool area, give them a drink of cold water and advise the vaccination team.
• If a student is experiencing some discomfort at the site of the injection, apply a cold cloth or ice pack to the injection site.
• If necessary, seek medical attention (as per your routine school procedures) or call the NSW Ambulance Service by dialling 000 and then contact the parent or legal guardian.

After the vaccination clinic

The vaccination team is specially trained to deal with all emergencies. The vaccination team will remain at your school for at least 15 minutes after the last student has been vaccinated and will ensure all vaccinated students have not experienced an adverse event following immunisation prior to departing. A contact phone number for the vaccination team will be left with the school.

Students who missed the vaccination clinic

Parents of students who have completed consent but missed vaccination throughout the year will be sent a notification. The notification will advise parents that their child was not vaccinated.

Every effort will be made to vaccinate students who have completed consent but missed vaccination throughout the year at subsequent school clinics. Where this is possible, parents will be advised of arrangements for catch-up vaccinations.

Where PHU/CHC school immunisation teams have capacity, catch-up clinics will be conducted in Year 8 and Year 11 for all the consents submitted the year before. Alternatively, free catch-up vaccines are available through local general practitioners (GPs), pharmacist immunisers and Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS). Please note that the GP may charge a consultation fee.

Resources

Appendix A: Suggested checklist

This is an example of a checklist. Please discuss with your local PHU/CHC SVP coordinator.

Appendix B: Sample school newsletter to send to parents

In 2025, the following vaccines will be offered:

• in Year 7, students are offered free vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (whooping cough), (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV)
• in Year 10, students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.

If your child is in Year 7 or Year 10, you can give consent online for their routine school vaccinations.

How to provide consent

1. For detailed steps on how to provide consent, please watch the How to Provide Consent video. Or refer to NSW Health School vaccination.

   To complete online consent for your child's school vaccinations, please visit the School Vaccination Program online consent portal.

2. Follow the steps to log in to your existing Service NSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a Service NSW account, refer to Service NSW - How to create an account to create one.
3. Update or confirm your personal details in Service NSW as required.
4. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
1. Enter your child’s personal details
2. Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
3. Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement. Translations are available in 28 languages. Please refer to School Vaccination Program (translated consent materials)
4. Provide consent.

The benefits of providing consent online:

• SMS notification three days before the clinic to remind you of the vaccination day
• easily update your child’s details
• receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
• faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit NSW School Vaccination Program. If you require information in your language, please visit School Vaccination Program (translated consent materials)

Appendix C: School vaccination flyer - copy for distribution to parents

School vaccination flyer

Appendix D: School vaccination letter - information for students

Appendix E: Social media tiles for use in school communication

Appendix F: Proforma for schools to provide written notification to the Director, Public Health Unit, of any withdrawals of consent from NSW School Vaccination Program

[Insert school crest and details]

Dear <name of the Director of the Public Health Unit or delegate>,

<Name of school> has received a withdrawal of consent from a parent/guardian for the school vaccination program.

The withdrawal of consent was received on <date> for <student name> in <year group>.

Consent is withdrawn for the <name of vaccine>.

Yours sincerely,

<Name of Principal>

<Signature of Principal>

<Date>

Appendix G: Useful links

• NSW Health School Vaccination Program
  Up-to-date immunisation information, resources, and advice about the NSW Health School Vaccination Program.
• Public Health Units - contact details
  In NSW, calling 1300 066 055 will direct you to your local Public Health Unit who can help answer your questions about the school vaccination program.
• For students with disability:
  • Information for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities in the NSW School Vaccination Program.
  • A social story to help plan vaccination day at school.
  • A fact sheet to provide a brief overview of HPV, the HPV vaccine and how to support adolescents with their HPV vaccination.
• Australian Immunisation Handbook
  A comprehensive guide developed by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), providing clinical advice for health professionals on the safest and most effective use of vaccines in their practice.
• Australian Immunisation Register
  The national register where vaccinations are recorded.
• NSW Immunisation Schedule
  The schedule for vaccines funded under the National Immunisation Program.