Preparing for your adolescent’s visit

Key facts

  • All adolescents are recommended to receive their free National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccines through a school-based immunisation program. 

  • To receive a vaccine through your local school immunisation program, parents or guardians must complete and return a consent form. This form may be available online or through an information pack sent home.

  • Your adolescent can also receive their free NIP routine vaccines and any additional vaccines at a clinic visit with your preferred healthcare professional. You may have to pay a fee for these clinic consultations and vaccines.

Last updated on 13 August 2025.

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What do I need to do before my adolescent is vaccinated? 

Your adolescent is recommended to receive their free National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccines through a school-based immunisation program. They can also receive their vaccines at a clinic visit with your preferred healthcare professional.

The majority of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations also offer vaccination services.

Schools will advertise the dates of immunisation sessions in emails, school newsletters, or on their website or social media pages.  

To receive a free vaccine through your local school immunisation program, parents or guardians must complete and return a consent form. This form may be available online or as a printed form in an information pack sent home.  

By completing and returning the form, you give permission for your adolescent to get vaccinated at school.

Contact your adolescent’s school or your state or territory health department to find out more about school vaccination programs in your area.  

In the Northern Territory, influenza (flu) vaccine may also be offered through the school immunisation program.

COVID-19 vaccines are not available through school-based immunisation programs and will not be offered to your adolescent.

As an alternative to being vaccinated at school, you or your adolescent can choose to visit a doctor, community health clinic or pharmacist to get their routine vaccines and most recommended vaccines. Vaccinating your adolescent on time provides the best protection.

If you and your adolescent choose to get your adolescent’s vaccines through a clinic, you can get these vaccines at any time of the year. You can make an appointment with your preferred doctor or nurse to discuss your vaccination options. Some clinic consultations and vaccines may incur a fee. 

What will happen when my adolescent gets there?

Vaccination appointments can work differently in different places, but here is a rough guide on what will happen on the day of a school or clinic vaccination.

For adolescents with disability, the school process may be different. More information is given below.

  • Your adolescent will attend the school clinic with a group of other students who are also being vaccinated. If your adolescent is with disability, they may be brought down by themself.
  • The nurse will ask your adolescent a few questions. These could include asking if your adolescent is feeling well and if they have certain medical conditions. They will also ask your adolescent if they have any questions.
  • After that, the nurse will get the vaccinations ready.
  • The nurse will be as quick and gentle as they can when they give your adolescent their vaccines. Most vaccines are given in the upper arms.
  • The nurse will ask your adolescent to stay in the vaccination area for about 15 minutes after they receive their vaccinations. This is so the nurse can make sure everything is okay before your adolescent leaves the area.
  • The nurse will enter your adolescent’s vaccination details into the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). This information will be recorded in your adolescent’s immunisation history statement.

  • Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will ask your adolescent a few questions. These could include asking if your adolescent is feeling well and if they have any medical conditions. They will also ask if you or your adolescent have any questions.
  • After that, the immunisation provider will get the vaccinations ready. Some doctors may ask you and your adolescent to go to another room where a nurse who is specially trained in immunising people will vaccinate your adolescent.
  • The immunisation provider will be as quick and gentle as they can when they give your adolescent their vaccines.
  • The immunisation provider will ask you and your adolescent to stay at the clinic for about 15 minutes after your adolescent receives their vaccinations. This is so the clinic staff can make sure everything is okay before you and your adolescent leave.
  • The immunisation provider will then enter your adolescent’s vaccination details into the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). This information will be recorded in your adolescent’s immunisation history statement.
Why do I have to pay for some vaccines?

If you and your adolescent choose to have a recommended vaccine that is not funded by the NIP or your state or territory government, these vaccines may incur a fee.

Sometimes these vaccines are only free for specific populations who have a higher risk for certain diseases, such as adolescents with certain medical risk conditions and adolescents who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Whether or not some vaccines are free can also depend on which state or territory you live in.

Even though they are not funded under the NIP, these vaccines are still important and recommended for all adolescents. This includes protecting your adolescent from influenza (flu) and meningococcal B.

The influenza (flu) vaccine is one vaccine that is recommended for all adolescents each year but is only funded on the NIP for those with certain medical risk conditions and those who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

For all other adolescents, you may pay a fee for the vaccine and the clinic visit.

Two doses of a meningococcal B vaccine are recommended for all adolescents who were not vaccinated for meningococcal B as infants or small children.

This vaccine is only funded for adolescents living in South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. It is also available under the NIP for some adolescents with certain medical risk conditions.

If you choose this vaccine for your adolescent, you may incur a fees for both the vaccine and the clinic visit.

How can I make the vaccination experience easier for my adolescent?

Some adolescents may be nervous, fearful or worried before they are vaccinated, while others are not. Here are some tips to help make things easier for your adolescent.
 

Before vaccination

  • Talk to your adolescent about why vaccination is important.1
  • Suggest ways your adolescent can distract themselves when they get their needles. For example, they may have a device or object that will help distract them when they get a vaccine.2 A distraction item could be a fidget toy, a stress ball, a phone, a video game, music or a book. Talking to someone or singing may also help.3
  • For school vaccination, ask the nursing or school staff if your adolescent can be vaccinated first thing in the morning. This may help prevent your adolescent from being nervous or worried all day.
  • Practise some breathing exercises (like blowing out a candle) and positive self-talk in the lead-up to the vaccination.3 Your adolescent can then use these exercises before and during vaccination to help them relax.
     

On vaccination day

  • Encourage your adolescent to ask questions or speak to the nurse about their concerns.3 Make sure they let the nurse or doctor know if they are feeling nervous, afraid or unwell.  
  • Help your adolescent be as comfortable as possible.3 This could include wearing their sports uniform to school (if allowed) or other short sleeves or loose-fitting clothes that will allow them to show their upper arm. Having a good meal (breakfast or lunch) or snack and plenty of fluids beforehand can also help.
  • Ensure your adolescent is feeling well on the day of the vaccination (no major illness or a fever of 38.5°C or more). Adolescents with a minor cold or a sniffle can still be vaccinated. 
     

After vaccination

  • Encourage your adolescent to participate in all their normal activities, including sports.
What if my adolescent has a disability?

It is important that all adolescents with a disability are vaccinated to protect them and the community from vaccine preventable diseases. This includes adolescents with intellectual or developmental disabilities.  

Most adolescents with disability can be vaccinated at school through a school-based immunisation program. Some adolescents with disability may prefer to be vaccinated by a trusted doctor, nurse or community health worker.

If your adolescent with disability requires additional support on the day they are vaccinated, there are resources available to help them have a smoother vaccination experience. This includes resources under development from the Vax4Health research project in New South Wales.

Other resources have been developed by Cancer Council Victoria in consultation with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Scope Australia.

Find a resource to support your adolescent with disability to get their HPV vaccination

You can also speak with your preferred healthcare provider about being referred to a specialist immunisation clinic. These clinics offer vaccination under close observation.  

Find out how to contact your state or territory’s immunisation advice line or specialist immunisation service

Please note: In SKAI Adolescent, the phrase ‘your adolescent’ refers to all guardian relationships where health decisions for an adolescent fall under your responsibility.

After consultation with experts from the Vax4Health group at the Kirby Institute, SKAI Adolescent uses the phrase adolescent or adolescents ‘with disability’ to refer to individuals who are with an intellectual and/or physical disability.

Drafts of this page were reviewed by members of our immunisation Provider Reference Group and Consumer Advisory Group.


  1. Orenius T, LicPsych, Säilä H et al. Fear of injections and needle phobia among children and adolescents: an overview of psychological, behavioral and contextual factors. SAGE Open Nursing 2018;4:2377960818759442  
  2. Birnie KA, Chambers CT, Taddio A et al. Psychological interventions for vaccine injections in children and adolescents: systematic review of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials. The Clinical Journal of Pain 2015;31(10 Suppl):S72-89  
  3. Taddio A, Gudzak V, Jantzi M et al. Impact of the CARD (Comfort Ask Relax Distract) system on school-based vaccinations: a cluster randomized trial. Vaccine 2022;40:2802-809