School News

Secondary School Immunisation Program catch-ups

Secondary school immunisations are provided to students to reduce their risk of contracting preventable diseases and some cancers. Health advice regarding immunisations recommends students receive the following:

Year 7

• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) (one dose)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) (2 doses 6 months apart).

Year 10

• Meningococcal A,C,W,Y (one dose).

Due to COVID-19 related interruptions to school-based learning, there are a number of students in years 7 to 12 who may have missed these important vaccines. This puts students at an increased risk of illness. 

If your child missed out on their school-based vaccinations, please speak to your GP or local council immunisation service about how they can catch up. 

To check if your child is due for any vaccines, refer to their immunisation history statement on the Australian Immunisation Register, using your MyGov account. 

If your child is aged over 14, they may need to access their immunisation history statement themselves, through their own MyGov account or the Medicare mobile app.

2026 Term Date Changes

There have been changes to Victorian school term dates for 2026. This will provide an opportunity for Victorian communities to participate more broadly in the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place across regional Victoria from Tuesday 17 March to Sunday 29 March 2026, with Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland and Shepparton hosting a range of activities and events for 20 different sports and 9 para-sports. 

The 2026 Victorian school term dates are:

• Term 1: Tuesday 27 January to Friday 13 March 2026 
• Term 2: Monday 30 March to Friday 19 June 2026
• Term 3: Monday 6 July to Friday 18 September 2026
• Term 4: Monday 5 October to Friday 18 December 2026.

For the list of school term dates until the end of 2030, refer to School term dates and holidays in Victoria.