Parent information kits are sent home to parents/carers early in the school year, providing information on the vaccines offered to high school students.

Year 7 students in 2016 will be offered vaccines for varicella (chicken pox), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) vaccine and the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV vaccine requires three doses to be administered over six months.

Hunter New England Health immunisation coordinator Patrick Cashman said the secondary school immunisation program builds on immunisations received in childhood.

“The school-based vaccination program provides important immunisation coverage to secondary school students at an age before they are most likely to be at risk,” Mr Cashman said. 

“It is important that all three HPV doses are received.”

Over nine million doses of the HPV vaccine have been administered in Australia since 2007, and research studies have shown a 77 percent reduction in HPV types responsible for almost 75 percent of cervical cancer.

To receive the vaccines free of charge, young people must commence the course in Year 7; if parents/carers choose to wait until their child is older they will be required to pay for the vaccines privately.

Students are reminded to return their consent form, ensure breakfast is eaten on the morning of the immunisation and give the record of their vaccination to their parent/carer after the clinic.

Young people who are absent from school on the day of a scheduled clinic will be offered catch-up vaccinations at subsequent school clinic dates.

Where this is not possible, young people may receive free catch-up vaccinations at their GP during the school year.