Health Centre Nurse, Ms Adele Cutbush
Our Local Health District Immunisation Team will be visiting next week on Tuesday 4 May 2021 to provide the Meningococcal ACWY for all Year 10 students. We have not received as many completed vaccination consent forms as we have in previous years. Our vaccination participation rate is normally very high for Waverley College students, especially against Meningococcal.
The forms were distributed to the students last week in their house groups and every student received one (unless they were absent). Please ensure you complete the consent form and ask your son to return it to the Health Centre this week. If he does not return the completed original consent form, he will not be able to receive the vaccine against four strains of Meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal disease is a rare but serious infection that usually leads to meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) and/or septicaemia (blood poisoning). Symptoms of meningococcal disease may be non-specific but may include sudden onset of fever, headache, neck stiffness, joint pain, a rash of red-purple spots or bruises, dislike of bright lights, nausea and vomiting. Up to 10% of meningococcal infections are fatal even with antibiotic treatment and survivors may be left with long term complications.
The meningococcal vaccine works by triggering the immune system to fight certain infections. If a vaccinated person comes into contact with the infection their immune system is able to respond more effectively, preventing the disease developing or greatly reducing its severity.
*Please note: consent forms can not be emailed and the original consent form must be returned. Public Health will not accept copies or scans of originals. If your son has lost his form please ask him to collect a new one from the Health Centre (unfortunately we can not email them to you).
Should you have any more questions please do not hesitate to phone me directly on (02) 9369 0644.
Ms Adele Cutbush
Registered Nurse, Waverley College Health Centre
E: acutbush@waverley.nsw.edu.au
