School Based Immunisation Programme - information and consent form - NIP8899

SCHOOL BASED IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME

INFORMATION and CONSENT FORM for parents and caregivers of Year 7 and Year 8 students

 Your child is being offered free vaccinations at school to help protect them against:

• Tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough/pertussis

• Cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)

Please complete the form and return it to school.

Your child will only be vaccinated if you give consent.

Please return the form to the school whether you consent or do not consent, so the vaccination team knows your decision.

What is the School Based Immunisation Programme?

The School Based Immunisation Programme is delivered by trained vaccinators working with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. The programme offers free vaccinations to students.

Please read the information below, then complete the consent section of this form and return it to school.

Information about the vaccinations your child is being offered

The routine vaccinations are part of the National Immunisation Schedule. They help protect your child now and, in the future, supporting improved health outcomes for students, families and communities.

What do the vaccines help protect against?

Boostrix (Tdap)

Tetanus is a rare but serious disease caused by bacteria that can enter the body through a cut or wound. Tetanus can cause muscle stiffness, painful spasms, and difficulty chewing or swallowing. In severe cases, it can affect breathing and can be life-threatening.

Diphtheria is a serious disease that spreads easily from person to person. It can affect the throat, making it difficult to breathe and swallow. It can also damage the heart, nerves, muscles, and skin.

Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious infection that spreads through coughing and sneezing. It causes severe coughing fits that can make it hard to breathe and may lead to vomiting.

Gardasil®9 (HPV)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus that can cause several types of cancer later in life, including cervical, vulval, vaginal, anal, penile and some head and neck cancers.

Most people will get HPV at some stage without knowing it. The HPV vaccine helps protect young people before they are exposed to the virus, providing long-lasting protection against HPV diseases, including genital warts and the high-risk HPV types that cause cancer.

Year 7 or 8 is the best time to have the HPV vaccination because children develop a particularly good immune response at this age.

How effective are the vaccines?

Boostrix (Tdap)

Helps maintain protection against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. 

Gardasil®9 (HPV)

Protects against HPV types responsible for around 90% of HPV-related cancers.

Studies have shown that a single dose of Gardasil®9 provides around 97 to 98% protection against the high-risk HPV types that cause cancers. Based on this evidence, the World Health Organization now recommends a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule. Many countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom, have already adopted this approach. 

How many doses will my child receive at school?

Boostrix (Tdap)

One dose. 

Gardasil®9 (HPV)

One dose will be offered through the School Based Immunisation Programme.

What parents may want to know

How are the vaccines administered?

Both vaccines are given as an injection in the upper arm.

Can the vaccines be given on the same day?

Yes, Boostrix and Gardasil®9 can be given on the same day.

How safe are the vaccines?

Both vaccines have excellent safety records. Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side effects, but these are usually mild and do not last long.

Serious allergic reactions are very rare. This reaction is called anaphylaxis. Vaccinators are trained to recognise and treat reactions if they happen.

For more information about vaccine safety, visit: Immunisations or call the Vaccination Helpline 0800 28 29 26

What are the side effects of the vaccines?

Like most medicines, vaccines can sometimes cause reactions. These are usually mild, and not everyone will get them. Common reactions that can occur include: swelling and pain at the injection site, headaches, tiredness, mild fever or feeling unwell, nausea and dizziness.

Allergic reactions

Serious allergic reactions (known as anaphylaxis) are extremely rare. Only about 1 in 1 million people will experience this.

The vaccinator is well-trained and knows what to look for and can treat an allergic reaction quickly if it happens. Serious allergic reactions normally happen within the first few minutes of vaccination. This is why people need to wait 15 minutes after immunisation.

Who should not be vaccinated and when should I discuss vaccination with a healthcare provider?

There are very few people who shouldn’t be vaccinated.

Parents should discuss vaccination with your child’s GP provider if their child has severe allergies, certain medical conditions or has had a serious reaction to a vaccine before.

What happens if my child misses their school vaccination day?

Additional school-based catch-up sessions are arranged for students who miss their vaccination on the scheduled clinic day.

Alternatively, the vaccinations can be arranged through your General Practice (GP), local pharmacy, or other healthcare providers for FREE.

Is there a cost?

Both vaccines are FREE.

Helping your child prepare for vaccination day

Talking with your child about their vaccinations beforehand can help them feel prepared and supported.

Please encourage your child to ask questions and let them know they can talk to the vaccinator or school staff if they are feeling nervous.

On the day, trained vaccinators will give the vaccinations at school. The vaccinator will check the consent form and confirm which vaccine(s) your child is receiving.

After the vaccination, students will be observed for a short time. Serious allergic reactions are very rare, and vaccinators are trained to recognise and manage them if they occur.

Important note about Gardasil®9

The approved course of Gardasil®9 is two doses. However, studies have shown that a single dose of Gardasil®9 provides around 97–98% protection against the high-risk HPV types that cause cancers. Based on this evidence, the World Health Organization now recommends a single-dose HPV vaccination schedule.

Your child will be offered one dose of Gardasil®9 through the School Based Immunisation Programme.

If chosen a second dose is free and can be accessed from your GP, local pharmacy, or community health provider at least six months after the first dose.

Your rights

The Health and Disability Commissioner's Code of Rights applies to all consumers using a health or disability service in New Zealand.

For more information, visit Health and Disability Commissioner — Te Toihau Hauora, Hauātanga — Health & Disability Commissioner or call 0800 555 050

In this privacy section, “we” refers to Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) and the local School Based Immunisation Programme (SBIP) team responsible for delivering school vaccine.

Providing the information requested on this consent form is voluntary. However, if all required information is not provided, we may not be able to vaccinate your child.

Schools may share some student information with the local School Based Immunisation Programme team (such as names or dates of birth) to support programme delivery. Where this occurs, schools should inform parents and caregivers in advance. This information, together with the information you provide on the form, is used to help administer this vaccine programme.

Information from the consent form and details of each vaccine given or declined will be recorded on a patient management system held by Health NZ for your district. The health number (National Health Index), demographic and vaccine details will also be recorded in the Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR), a national database administered by Health NZ which records all vaccine activity for people in New Zealand.

Information recorded in the AIR will normally be shared with your child’s enrolled General Practice/ medical centre and may also be available to other health care providers as required for your child’s health care.

For more information about privacy for you and your child in relation to AIR, including how information in the AIR is used, please see Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR) privacy information or contact hnzprivacy@tewhatuora.govt.nz

Vaccinators may use information provided on this form:

• to contact your GP or medical centre if they need to check which vaccines your child has already been given,
• identify if your child has any health concerns, and/or
• to refer your child to their health provider or another local health if they miss vaccination at school

Information may also be used for planning, analysis and research purposes, in line with Health NZ processes and where this is permitted by law. Any reports produced will not contain any information that identifies your child.

Parents/guardians have the right to access their child’s vaccine information (up to the age of 16 years) and request corrections if they believe the information is incorrect. To request access or corrections, please contact hnzprivacy@tewhatuora.govt.nz