Easy Read versions of this information are available for people with reading difficulties, learning challenges, and cognitive disabilities.
NSW Health works with schools to offer the vaccines recommended and funded for adolescents by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in a school-based vaccination program, including:
Watch the video to learn more about the NSW Health school vaccination program.
Information about vaccinations given to students in Year 7 and Year 10 is available in English and community languages.
To get free vaccinations at school, a parent or guardian must give consent for each vaccine.
Parents and carers can give consent online or by asking the school for a paper consent form.
This video explains how to give consent online for the School Vaccination Program:
A step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online is available in English and community languages.
Once you give consent, it stays active unless you choose to withdraw it.
Parents can withdraw consent at any time before vaccination takes place.
If you gave online consent, log in to the NSW Health portal and follow the steps to withdraw.
If you used a paper form, contact the school by phone or in writing. Make sure to include:
In 2026, students in secondary schools will be offered:
Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (dTpa) vaccine
New migrants (including refugees) attending Intensive English Centres (IECs) may not have received the vaccines that are routinely offered in Australia. Migrant students will be offered vaccines, depending on their age.
Information about vaccination in Intensive English Centres is available in English and community languages.
Some students may experience some mild and temporary side effects following vaccination, including:
If your child has an unexpected reaction that you are concerned about, please contact your doctor or seek medical attention.
For more information, refer to Following vaccination - what to expect and what to do.
If your child has a physical or intellectual disability, or both, please read School vaccination for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities for more information.
To help you and your child plan for vaccination day at school, you can show your child this social story, Easy Read: I will get vaccines at school, to help explain to them what will happen and what to expect when they get their vaccination at school.
If you gave consent but your child missed their vaccination, you’ll get a notification letting you know they weren’t 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.
If the school immunisation team has capacity, catch-up clinics may be held in Year 8 and Year 11 for students who had consent forms submitted the year before.
You can also get free catch-up vaccines from:
Students who are enrolled in distance education or who are home-schooled are eligible for free age-appropriate vaccines. Adolescents can access vaccines from their GP, pharmacist immuniser, Aboriginal medical service, community health centre or other immunisation provider. It is important when making the appointment that parents/ guardians inform the receptionist of the reason for their visit and allow at least three working days for the vaccine to be ordered and delivered to the clinic.
For more information about the NSW School Vaccination Program in your area, contact your local public health unit (PHU) by calling 1300 066 055.
More information to help make informed decisions about the vaccines recommended to protect adolescents from a range of infectious diseases is available on Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) or visit Information about vaccinations.
