NSW School Vaccination Program

​Consent for school vaccination

Consent for each vaccine must be provided by parents/guardians for students to receive free vaccinations at school.

From 2024 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:

• your Service NSW log-in details
• Medicare card details for you and your child.

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:

• where consent has been given online, please log-in to the secure NSW Health portal and follow the prompts to withdraw consent, or
• where consent has been given on the physical consent form, please write to or call the school to advise the student's name, school grade and those vaccines the withdrawn consent applies to.

Secondary schools

Students in secondary schools in 2024 will be offered the following vaccines:

Missed vaccinations

Students who miss vaccination due to absence on the day of the school vaccination clinic may be offered catch-up vaccination at subsequent school clinics. Where this is not possible, parents will be advised that free catch-up vaccine is available at their local GP or pharmacist immuniser.

Parents who choose to wait for their child to be older before consenting to vaccination will be required to arrange for vaccination at their GP or pharmacist. This may incur a consultation fee. More information is available about catch-up vaccination.

Following vaccination - what to expect and what to do

Some people may experience some mild and temporary side effects following vaccination this includes:

• headache and tiredness for a day or two
• slightly red, itchy or sore arm for a day or two
• a small lump at the injection site. This may last for a few weeks. This usually does not require any treatment.

What to do if a local reaction occurs at the injection site

• If allowed, take paracetamol for pain. Follow the directions on the packaging.
• Put a cold damp cloth on the injection site to relieve tenderness.
• Drink extra fluids.

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.

Information and resources

• Information about school vaccinations and translated resources is available in 27 languages
• Information for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities
• Preparing for school vaccinations social story​​
  
• Whatchya Gunna DO? video for Aboriginal communities on the importance of routine vaccinations for adolescents
• Coverage rates for all vaccines offered to students in secondary schools from 2011 to 2021.

Intensive English Centres (IECs)

Newly-arrived migrants (including refugees) attending Intensive English Centres (IECs) who may have not have previously received vaccinations routinely offered in Australia will be offered the following vaccines:

All ages

15-19 year ​old only

More information

• Students who miss vaccine doses due to absence on the day of the clinic will be advised to receive any catch-up vaccination at their local GP or pharmacist immuniser.
• Translated information about IEC vaccination is available in 27 languages.

Distance education/home schooled students

Students​ who are enrolled in distance education or who are home-schooled are advised to attend their GP, pharmacist immuniser, or other immunisation provider for free age-appropriate vaccinations.

For more information about the NSW School Vaccination Program in your area, contact your local public health unit (PHU) by calling 1300 066 055.