Skip to main content

School-based vaccination

Immunisation is a proven and safe way to be protected against diseases that cause serious illness and sometimes death.

COVID-19 Update for Secondary School Vaccination Program

Six of our local Secondary Colleges missed out on a Council visit to immunise Year 7 students due to their early closures.

Council has now organised public sessions specifically to give these students an opportunity to not miss out on these important vaccinations.

The schools include:

Mernda Central College

Whittlesea Secondary College

The Lakes South Morang College

Thomastown Secondary College

Lalor Secondary College

Lalor North Secondary College

If your child handed in their completed Consent Card to school prior to the schools closure, Council will now have their card to give back to you at the session.

If your child did not hand in their card, please print one off here to complete and bring with you to the session or complete it and email back.

All sessions are by appointment only and only one parent/guardian can enter the venue with the child.

Book online

 

Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY vaccination at school

As students return to school this term, Council will again run the school-based vaccination program back on school campus.

However, hygiene and physical distancing guidance remains current. We will be vaccinating in school gyms and limiting the number of students through at a time.  Our staff will be wearing personal protective equipment and will be disinfecting equipment throughout the visit.

Some Year 10 vaccinations will take place near the end of Term 2 and others during Term 3.

If your child is absent on the day of our visit, you can make an appointment at one of our public sessions to catch-up, or alternatively you can make an appointment at a GP.

If you have not returned your consent card to your child’s school please do so as soon as possible.

You can download the consent card below.

Information for parents - Year 7 (or age equivalent, 12-13 years) and Year 10 (or age equivalent) Secondary school vaccine program

The protection provided by some childhood immunisations fades over time and needs to be boosted in adolescence.

Secondary school students are at an age when a vaccine will be most effective and provides protection before possible exposure to a disease.

Victorian immunisation schedule for secondary school students

The following vaccines are routinely provided free of charge to all Victorian Year 7 and Year 10 students (or age equivalent) under the Immunise Australia Program.

Vaccine type  Vaccine doses
Human papillomavirus (HPV)   2 vaccines given over 6 months 
Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (combined vaccine) Single dose
Meningococcal W Single dose

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parental consent for immunisation

We deliver consent cards to all local secondary schools in February of each year. You must ensure that you return the consent card, even if you do not want your child to be immunised, this assists Council in assessing total immunised in our community. If you are unsure about your child’s current immunisation status, contact us.

When a school vaccine is missed

If your child missed out on their school immunisation session, or you want to be there to support your child during immunisation, you can bring your child to any of our public immunisation sessions, or a doctor to receive the missed vaccine.

This should be done as soon as possible to be eligible to receive the vaccine for free. If the missed dose is part of a course of vaccines and is given soon after the missed school session, the rest of the course can often be finished as part of the school-based program.

Some vaccines may need to be ordered in advance, so let your doctor know which immunisation you want when you arrange the appointment. Although the vaccines themselves are free, your doctor may charge a consultation fee.

Access immunisation fact sheets in languages other than English.

Types of vaccines

Human papilloma virus (HPV)

The Australian Government announced that the new HPV vaccine Gardasil 9 will be added to the National Immunisation Program this year.

The vaccine will be offered to all Year 7 students (or age equivalent, 12-13 years) and will replace the current vaccine. It will be administered in two doses (instead of three) over six months.

Gardasil 9 will provide fully vaccinated females with protection against 90% of cervical cancers by protecting them against all the HPV strains in the current vaccine, as well as the five most common HPV types associated with cervical cancer in the new vaccine.

It will also continue to provide males and females protection against less common HPV-related cancers and genital warts.

Don't let your child miss out on this important vaccine.  Complete their consent card and return to the school on time.

For more information about this disease, visit the HPV Vaccine website.

Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough)

Vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough is part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule. The primary course of vaccination is at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. A booster dose is given at 4 years of age and the second booster is required in adolescence to ensure ongoing protection.

Meningococcal W

Meningococcal W vaccine is offered to Year 10 students (or age equivalent) this year.

Meningococcal bacteria are passed from person to person by regular, close, prolonged household and intimate contact. In recent years the prevalence of the W strain – one of the six main meningococcal strains – has increased significantly across Australia, with Victoria experiencing 48 cases in 2016, compared to 17 cases in 2015, four in 2014 and just one in 2013.

Information for young people

Immunisation is very important because it protects you from getting serious and preventable diseases.

If you are worried about receiving an injection, check out this short video for some tips to help you know what to expect on the day of vaccination.

More information

Watch our video to learn more about school vaccinations.

Find out about