Young people
On this page
- School Immunisation Program
- Complete the consent card
- Having the vaccination
- My child missed the school immunisation
- Age of consent for vaccinations
- More information
School Immunisation Program (SIP)
The Queensland School Immunisation Program allows Year 7 and Year 10 students to be vaccinated through their school for free.
If your child is immunised by your doctor, the vaccine will be funded (free) but you may be charged a consultation fee.
Vaccines are also funded for young people who are not attending school or being home schooled.
Year 7 students are offered vaccination against:
- Human papillomavirus (HPV): 1 dose
- Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough): 1 dose.
This age group requires these vaccinations because:
- they need a booster dose for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough)
- some immunisations need to be given in early adolescence (human papillomavirus) because the immune response is better at this age for this vaccine.
Year 10 students are offered vaccination against meningococcal ACWY strains: 1 dose.
This age group requires this vaccination because:
- some of the highest rates of meningococcal occur among 15 to 19 year olds and this age group can transmit the meningococcal bacteria to people who are at increased risk of infection, including young children
- the vaccine protects young people and reduces risks for the community as a whole by decreasing the proportion of people carrying the bacteria in their nose and throat.
Complete the consent form
Before the school visit, your child will be given a consent pack that contains an information sheet with details about the disease, benefits of immunisation and any common side effects and a vaccination consent form.
Read the information sheet, sign the consent form indicating whether you wish your child to be vaccinated, and return it to the school. If you have misplaced the consent form, you can download it below and reprint it.
Only students with a completed and signed consent form on the day of the school immunisation clinic will be vaccinated.
If you do not return a consent form or the form is incomplete, you may be contacted by the immunisation provider to check if you consent to have your child vaccinated.
Year 7 (HPV, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis):
Year 10 (meningococcal ACWY vaccine):
I do not consent for my child to be vaccinated
If you do not want your child to be vaccinated through the school program:
- complete and sign the 'No to Vaccination' section of the consent form
- indicate why your child is not receiving vaccinations through the school program, and
- return the consent form to the school.
Having the vaccination
A qualified team will visit your child's school to give the immunisations.
To ensure immunisation is appropriate, your child will be asked if they are medically well, have any severe allergies, or are pregnant.
After the immunisation, your child will be observed in an area close to the team for at least 15 minutes. Your child will receive a Record of Vaccination Card to take home. Keep this with their other medical details and/or notify your doctor that the vaccine has been given. This information will also be directly provided to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). Find out more about accessing your child's immunisation history statement.
My child missed the school immunisation
If your child misses their school immunisation, they can be vaccinated:
- at a catch-up school immunisation clinic (check with the immunisation service provider)
- at a free community immunisation clinic (if offered by your local council or immunisation service provider)
- by your doctor - for most of these vaccines, young people are eligible for free* catch-up vaccines up to and including 19 years of age. Catch up for the HPV vaccine is available up to and including 25 years of age. Catch up vaccines after this age need to be purchased via private prescription.
*The vaccine will be free, however you may be charged a consultation fee by your doctor or immunisation provider.
It is important to have your child vaccinated in the same year the vaccine is offered in the school program.
Age of consent for vaccinations
In Queensland, a child can consent to a vaccination if they have the capacity to give or withhold consent. The vaccine service provider will use their professional judgement to assess whether your child has the capacity to give their own consent for vaccination.
Generally, someone aged 15 years or older would normally be expected to have sufficient maturity, intelligence and understanding to fully understand the proposed treatment in order that they are able to provide valid and informed consent. Find out more about how the vaccine services provider will assess your child for consent.