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NSW Public Health Bulletin archive

School-based vaccination in NSW Volume 21 Issue 9-10

Kirsten F. Ward, Robert I. Menzies, Helen E. Quinn, Sue Campbell-Lloyd

New South Wales Public Health Bulletin 21(10) 237–242 https://dx.doi.org/10.1071/NB10046 Published online: 18 November 2010

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About the author/s

Kirsten F. Ward

Robert I. Menzies

Helen E. Quinn

Sue Campbell-Lloyd

Abstract

Over the past decade the number of recommended and funded vaccines for adolescents has increased, becoming a substantial part of the National Immunisation Program in Australia. In response, NSW has implemented disease-specific vaccination campaigns for both children and adolescents and more recently established a routine high school-based vaccination program to administer vaccines to this often hard to reach group. This paper outlines the history of school-based vaccination in NSW from its commencement in 1971 to coverage from early disease-specific programs, and describes the implementation of the current program of routine vaccination. Substantial coverage has been achieved across the age spectrum 5–17 years, highlighting the effectiveness of the school-based vaccination program in reaching large numbers of adolescents.