How vaccines in schools will work for 12-15 year olds

Like all school-based vaccination programmes, the vaccines will be administered by the school age immunisation service provider, working closely with the school.

If your child does not get the vaccine on the day it is offered in the school

For any young people aged 12 to 15 years who do not receive their vaccine on the vaccine day, there will be catch-up arrangements in place that the school age immunisation service provider will be able to share with the school.

This includes any young person who turns 12 years of age after the day the school age immunisation service provider visits the school.

Your child is home educated and does not attend school, will they be offered a vaccine as part of this programme?

All young people in the eligible age group who do not attend school, for example those who are home educated or living in secure accommodation, should be offered the vaccine. The school age immunisation service provider will have plans in place to offer vaccines to these young people.

How the consent process works for 12-15 year olds

All parents, or those with parental responsibility, are asked for consent and will usually make this decision jointly with their children. The information leaflet is addressed to the child (as the recipient of the vaccine) and encourages them to discuss the decision about the vaccine with their parents.

In secondary schools, most young people may be mature enough to provide their own consent. This sometimes occurs if a parent has not returned a consent form but the child still wishes to have the vaccine on the day of the session. Every effort will be made to contact the parent to seek their verbal consent.

This is a well-established process which you will be familiar with from other school-based vaccination programmes.

The Green Book of Immunisation contains more information on consent including Gillick competence.