What to expect on vaccination day.

Hear from our nurses.

'Hi. I'm Chelsea. I'm an immunisation nurse.'

'Hi, I'm Kate. I'm a school immunisation nurse.'

'Hi, I'm Emma. I'm an immunisation nurse.'

'You might see me at your school on the day of vaccination. On school vaccination day, you'll be called down in your class group.'

What happens on school vaccination day?

'You'll line up, and when it's your turn to come and see the nurse. We’ll check that your parents consented to the vaccine, and when you're feeling relaxed and okay about it, we’ll pop the vaccine into your arm, and then we’ll get you to wait for 15 minutes with the rest of the class group.'

Which vaccines will be given?

'For year 7, you'll receive two vaccines, the HPV vaccine and a combined diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine.'

'And for year 10, you'll have the one vaccine, meningococcal.'

Why do I need them now?

'We give them to you now to make sure you have the best protection.'

How long does it take?

'The vaccine takes just a few moments. It's over very, very quickly.'

Will it hurt?

'You might feel a little like a little bee sting, which will only last about a second.'

'After you've had the vaccine, your arm might be a little bit sore at night when you lie on it. And sometimes it can feel a little bit achy. But apart from that, generally you can go on with your day as normal.'

How big is the needle?

'The needle is just a normal needle size. It's actually the same sized needle that we use for babies, and it's over in just a few moments, nothing to worry about.'

What if I feel nervous?

'If you are nervous on the day, the best thing you can do is to try to relax, take some nice deep breaths.'

'For students on the day who were feeling really nervous, let us know at the desk, so we can get you through the line a lot quicker.'

'Allow the nurses to distract you, we've been doing this for a very long time, and we'll have it over and done with nice and quickly.'

'It's a great idea to turn away, and we're going to give the needle and to take really big deep breaths.'

'Make sure you're wearing nice, loose fitting clothing so that we're able to access the muscle in your upper arm.'

'Most kids say it wasn't as bad as they thought it was going to be.'

'Make sure you've had a nice big breakfast and some water before you come in for vaccination.'

'If your friend's a little bit nervous on the day, it's a great idea just to support them and tell them that it will be over really quickly.'

'If kids are talking about it being really scary, just ignore them. It's over so quickly.'

'We will make sure that we do a great job and look after you. You're in good hands. We'll be there to support you.'

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