Vaccination

Protecting our community

If you have not already done so, you are encouraged to book a vaccination appointment for your child as soon as possible in preparation for their return to school. Vaccination against COVID-19 is now available for everyone aged 5 and over.

Evidence shows vaccination offers excellent protection against COVID-19 in children. The State Government and Federal Government health advice, as well as that of all the major medical, health and scientific bodies across the nation, is that vaccination against COVID-19 is safe, effective and strongly recommended.

Even though COVID-19 in children is often milder than in adults, there’s strong evidence to support vaccinating children. Vaccines give the immune system a helping hand to protect against serious illness and possible long-term effects from COVID-19. Vaccination also helps to protect friends, family and the community by reducing spread of the virus.

With this in view, the school encourages vaccination, and this has been done with the health of our students and the greater good of our community in sharp focus.

There will always be genuine circumstances in which some individuals will not be able to be vaccinated. It should go without saying that the school will be supportive and inclusive of these individuals. While the vaccination of teachers is now mandatory, there has been no such mandate for students.

Please talk to your GP if you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19 vaccination for your child. Children will receive two doses of the vaccine, given 8 weeks apart. You can find more information on the vaccine and how to book HERE.

Vaccination Certificates

The School requests that parents provide copies of COVID-19 vaccination certificates for their children. In making this request, we understand that it will take time for students to be fully vaccinated and others may not be vaccinated – we simply ask that certificates are forwarded to the school once they are available. The School acknowledges that there may be variety of reasons why students are not vaccinated, and that for some students vaccination is not an option.

Providing evidence of COVID vaccination to the school is voluntary, as is the choice to vaccinate.

We encourage our community to respect the rights and personal circumstances that may influence the decision to vaccinate, and to respect the privacy of every student and their family in this regard. Inclusivity and tolerance are important school values that we request every family actively models.

It is gratifying to see the strong uptake of the vaccine by the community of the Central West and Orange in particular. We are optimistic that our community will continue to maintain a high level of vaccination so that our students can maintain their normal learning and life, uninterrupted by the pandemic.

More information on vaccination is available here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/vaccine/Pages/default.aspx