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

Download the guide now Download an example of a checklist for schools

About the NSW Health School Vaccination Program (SVP)

School-based vaccination programs are a key part of protecting student health and preventing the spread of serious diseases like whooping cough (pertussis), Human papillomavirus (HPV), and meningococcal disease.

By delivering vaccines in a familiar and accessible environment, these programs help protect adolescents from serious diseases. This is particularly important for adolescents who may not regularly access routine healthcare. The SVP is free, safe, and supported by NSW Health under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). The SVP helps maintain high immunisation rates, reduce illness-related absences, and protect the wider school community.

Support from schools in facilitating these programs is essential to their success.

Year 7 vaccines

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

• One injection.
  
• This vaccine is offered to boys and girls in Year 7, to protect against cancers caused by HPV such as cervical cancer, head and neck cancers, genital cancers, and genital warts. These illnesses can affect people of all genders.
• The vaccine is given to boys and girls in Year 7 to ensure maximum protection before potential exposure to the virus. Without a vaccination program, 4 out of 5 people will be infected with HPV over their lifetime.

Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), (dTpa) vaccine

• One injection.
  
• 3-in-1 teenage booster.
  
• This vaccine boosts immunity from the childhood vaccines given at age 4–5 and provides continued protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough.
• The Year 7 dTpa dose is an important adolescent booster, especially as immunity to tetanus and whooping cough decreases over time. Maintaining protection during adolescence helps prevent the spread of these serious diseases.

Year 10 vaccines

Meningococcal ACWY vaccine

• One injection.
  
• This vaccine is important as it protects against 4 types of meningococcal bacteria, which cause serious disease that can quickly become life-threatening.

Preparing for the vaccination clinic at your school

A PHU or CHC vaccination team member will contact your school to arrange suitable clinic dates. As they support many schools, your assistance in confirming dates promptly is appreciated. Nominate a staff member as the primary contact and share their details with the vaccination team. This person will coordinate:

• clinic scheduling and logistics
• time allocation for student vaccinations
• distribution of consent materials (digital or paper)
• on-the-day procedures and requirements.

Regular 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 need extra paper consent packs, contact your local PHU/CHC team by calling 1300 066 055.

Review During the vaccination clinic so you can arrange relevant equipment and know what to expect on the day.

Scheduling clinic dates

• Avoid scheduling clinics on days with excursions, sports events, or exams.
• Once dates are confirmed, notify relevant staff and update the school calendar.
• If dates change, update staff, the calendar, and inform parents/carers promptly.

Communicating the vaccination clinic dates and key information

To ensure a smooth vaccination day, please share key details with staff, students, and families.

Inform school staff

Notify relevant class teachers of the date, time, and location of the clinic. Update the school calendar and ensure all staff are aware of any changes.

Inform parents and carers

Share clinic details with parents/carers of Year 7 and Year 10 students via:

• school newsletter (sample article included (Appendix B)
• email
• school communication portal.

Include clear instructions on how to provide consent through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program online consent portal.

Involve students

Send vaccine and consent information to students via email so they can discuss vaccination with their parents/carers ahead of the day. Encourage students to:

• eat breakfast on vaccination day to help prevent fainting
• wear a short-sleeved shirt (e.g. sports uniform or T‑shirt, where possible)
  
• drink plenty of water (non-caffeinated), especially in warm weather
• nurses may ask students about their food and fluid intake before vaccination.

Sharing vaccination information with parents/carers

Distribute parent information early and consider any parents or students who may need communication adjustments to support access to information.

If using platforms like School Bytes, Compass, or Canvas, make it clear to parents that consent must be provided via the NSW Health School Vaccination Program online consent portal.

To avoid confusion:

1. disable consent features on school platforms when sending reminders. If not possible, ensure students with consent via these platforms are listed for the clinic
2. include the direct link or QR code to the NSW Health portal in communications
3. parent information is available on School Vaccination Program - Parent information.

Parents can access translated resources in  28 languages.

Hard copy Parent Information and Consent Packs can be provided for:

• students whose parents/carers cannot or prefer not to use online consent
• families without Medicare
• families without access to the internet.​
  

School staff must collect signed paper consent forms and return them to the vaccination team.

Suggested timeline for sharing resources

• Use the newsletter template “Sample School Newsletter Draft Template” (Appendix B) to inform parents/carers.
• Share the instructions and links to the School Vaccination Program online consent portal.
• Include the link to the How to provide consent video and School Vaccination Program - Parent information​.
• Social media tiles for use in school communication resources are available (Appendix E).

Four weeks before the clinic

• Send a reminder for parents to complete the online consent on the School Vaccination Program online consent portal.

Two weeks before the clinic

• Distribute the printed “School Vaccination Flyer” (provided by the PHU).
• A digital version is available for email or printing in Appendix C.
• Share the “Information for students” flyer to help students prepare (A digital copy is available in Appendix D 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.

How to provide consent

Parents, students and schools can watch two short videos about the School Vaccination Program:

Information about the NSW School Vaccination Program

How to Provide Consent. 

These videos are available in 15 additional languages.​

To give consent online, parents/carers must visit the NSW Health School Vaccination program portal School Vaccination Program online consent portal

To complete 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 visiting How 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 reminders three days before the clinic
• SMS confirmation once vaccination is given
• easy updates to child’s details
  
• faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
• Reduced administrative work for schools.
  

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:

• enter your Email
• enter your Password
• select Continue

 ​

ServiceNSW will prompt for a multi-factor authentication before allowing you to log in securely.​​

​

Parents will need to enter the 6-digit verification code sent to their nominated mobile phone as an SMS before they are directed to the consent platform.

Consent forms

Late paper consent forms (received the week of the clinic) should be held by the school and handed directly to the vaccination team on the day of the clinic.

Parental or guardian consent is required for students to receive routine vaccinations. Consent can be provided:

• at any time during the year
• on the day of the clinic via phone by an Authorised Nurse Immuniser (ANI). ​
  

Verbal consent

If a student indicates that their parent/carer would like them to be vaccinated, an authorised nurse immuniser may:

• speak with the parent to obtain verbal consent, or
• provide the student with a paper consent form to take home. The completed form should be returned and kept until the date of the next school vaccination clinic.

Withdrawing consent

Parents can withdraw consent at any time before the vaccination clinic.

Schools are encouraged to use the “Proforma for schools” to notify the Director of the Public Health Unit of any withdrawals of consent.​

During the vaccination clinic

General preparations

The vaccination team will arrive at the school’s front office/reception at a pre-arranged time (usually between 8:30 and 9:00 AM) to sign in and set up.

The team will bring all necessary clinical supplies and consumables and will take them when they leave.

Room requirements

The school is responsible for providing a suitable space for the clinic. The room should be:

• well-lit and well-ventilated
• larger than a standard classroom, ideally with separate entry and exit points
• located on the ground floor, to avoid students needing to use stairs after vaccination.

The room should also include:

• privacy screens are recommended to support student privacy. Where screens are not available, alternative methods such as partitions or mobile whiteboards may be used where possible
  
• two mats (e.g., gym mats) for students who may feel faint and need to lie down
• a desk and two chairs per vaccination station (one for the nurse, one for the student). The vaccination team will advise in advance how many stations are needed
• an emergency area separate from the recovery area, ideally in a first aid room or sick bay
• handwashing facilities nearby.

Student management

To ensure everything runs smoothly, schools are asked to support the vaccination team with the following:

• provide staff members to escort students to and from the vaccination area
• to reduce wait times and anxiousness in students during vaccination clinics, bring one class at a time to the clinic
• schools are asked to bring all students from the Year cohort to the clinic to support efficient delivery
  
• identify students who may be more anxious and, where appropriate, arrange for vaccination before the main clinic session in consultation with the Team Leader.
  

Consider providing distractions such as music, movies, or books to help students feel more at ease before and after vaccination.

Recovery area supervision

Assign staff to supervise students in the recovery area. Students must remain seated for 15 minutes after their vaccination. No special training is required for this role.

Ensure the recovery area is close to the clinic so the vaccination team can respond quickly if needed.

The exit route from the recovery area should be separate from the waiting area to avoid congestion and maintain a calm environment.

If students feel unwell after vaccination

If a student feels faint or nauseous:

• lay them down flat in a cool, quiet area
• offer a cold drink of water
• notify the vaccination team immediately.

If a student experiences discomfort at the injection site, applya  cold cloth or ice pack to the area.

If the situation requires further care, follow your school’s standard medical procedures.

If it is urgent, call NSW Ambulance (000) and then contact the student’s parents or legal guardian.

After the vaccination clinic

The vaccination team is trained to manage medical emergencies and will remain on-site for at least 15 minutes after the last student is vaccinated. They will ensure all students are well before leaving.

A contact phone number for the vaccination team will be provided to the school for any follow-up queries or concerns.

Students who missed the vaccination clinic

Parents of students who provided consent but did not receive their vaccination will be notified that their child was not vaccinated.

• general practitioners (GPs) – please note that a consultation fee may apply
• pharmacist immunisers
• Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS).

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

Available in the NSW Health School Vaccination Program- A guide for schools

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

School vaccination flyer

Appendix D: School vaccination letter - information for students

Available in the NSW Health School Vaccination Program- A guide for schools

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.