Year 7 and 10 vaccination sessions coming soon

Parents of children in years 7 and 10 should keep an eye out for immunisation information packs which will soon be distributed to secondary school students throughout Maroondah. 

The information packs will inform parents about the next round of immunisations that Council will be providing at all Maroondah secondary schools during March and April. These sessions cover students in years 7 and 10.

Councillor Samantha Mazzuchelli, Council’s representative on the Maroondah Communities of Wellbeing Committee, said it was important that the forms are read, completed and signed by the child’s parent or guardian as soon as possible.

“The last time parents had to think about immunisation for their child was just before they began school, usually seven or eight years previously,” Cr Mazzuchelli said.

“The forms that students will bring home provide information on the Year 7 and 10 scheduled vaccinations, with a consent card to be completed and returned to the school. If your child has already received their immunisation elsewhere, or if you simply choose not to use Council’s immunisation service, it is still important to complete the cards and return them to the school,” she said.

The scheduled vaccinations for Year 7 students are for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough), which are provided in a combined vaccine known as Boostrix.

It is also recommended that both males and females in Year 7 receive the HPV vaccine Gardasil9. This vaccine protects against nine types of human papillomavirus that cause over 90 per cent of cervical cancer in women and over 90 per cent of HPV-related cancers in men.

The scheduled immunisation for Year 10 students is the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

The Meningococcal vaccine is a four-in-one combined vaccine for protection against meningococcal A, C, W and Y strains. Studies have shown that the effectiveness of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine is between 80 to 85 per cent in adolescents.

Vaccines are administered by Council’s immunisation nurses, who visit local schools a number of times a year.

“Council’s Immunisation Service is fully accredited in compliance with AS/NZS ISO 9001 Quality Management Standards, so parents can feel confident of a safe and effective service,” Cr Mazzuchelli said.

For more information on the secondary school immunisation schedule, or for general immunisation services in Maroondah, phone 1300 88 22 33 or visit our