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:
COVID-19 vaccination is not part of the NSW School Vaccination Program. For information about COVID-19 vaccination visit COVID-19 vaccination booking.
Information about school vaccinations is available in 28 languages.
See all translated resources
Consent for each vaccine must be provided by parents / guardians for students to receive free vaccinations at school.
Parents and carers can provide consent online. Select login with Service NSW Account.
To provide online consent you will need:
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:
Read a step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online.
Translated guides on how to give consent for vaccination are also available in: Arabic | العربية, Chinese-Simplified | 简体中文, Chinese-Traditional | 繁體中文, Korean | 한국어,Vietnamese | Tiếng Việt.
Students in secondary schools in 2025 will be offered the following vaccines:
Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (dTpa) vaccine
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
Meningococcal ACWY vaccination
Some students may experience some mild and temporary side effects following vaccination this includes:
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.
Parents of students who have completed consent but missed vaccination throughout the year will be sent a notification. The notification will advise parents 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 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 the GP may charge a consultation fee.
If your child has a physical or intellectual disability, or both, please read the School vaccination for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities fact sheet for more information.
You can show your child this 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.
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.
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 28 languages.
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 calling1300 066 055.
