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Vaccinations for Local Students

Nearly 1,000 vaccinations administered to Year 7 students this year as part of the Secondary School Immunisation Program.

By Portal Admin - 30th September 2019 - Back to News

Bass Coast Shire Council has administered nearly 1,000 vaccinations to Year 7 students this year, as part of its Secondary School Immunisation Program.

The National Immunisation Program is an initiative of all levels of government and aims to protect the community from vaccine preventable diseases. As part of the program, free vaccines are offered to Year 7 secondary school students.

The vaccines provided through the program are Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Diphtheria/tetanus/whooping cough.

Vaccines are administered by Council’s immunisation nurses, who visit Newhaven College, Wonthaggi Secondary College and Bass Coast Specialist School a number of times each year to deliver the program.

In 2019, across all three schools, Council administered 343 first doses of the HPV vaccine and 291 second doses. The Specialist School is still to receive the second dose.

Council also administered 351 Diphtheria/tetanus/whooping cough vaccines.

Immunisation is the safest and most effective way to stop the spread of many infectious diseases. The protection provided by some childhood vaccines fades and needs to be boosted in adolescence and for other vaccines, adolescence is the best time for the vaccine to be given.

Vaccines not only protect your child from harmful diseases, but offer important benefits for the long-term health of the community. If enough people in the community are immunised, the diseases can no longer be spread from person to person in the community.

Additionally, the Federal Government is funding vaccinations for all children under 20 years of age who missed any scheduled vaccines, including a catch up program for Meningococcal ACWY vaccine for adolescents aged 15 to 19 years of age who have not already received the vaccine in school.

If students have missed vaccines, either in childhood or adolescence, they should speak with Council or their GP.

For more information on the immunisation program, visit www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/immunisation or contact Council’s Environmental Health Team on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211.


Newhaven College Year 7 student, William Peppard, received his second dose of HPV vaccination from Bass Coast Shire Council Immunisation nurse Rachael Cameron recently.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com