If you are completing a health-related program, you must meet mandatory NSW Health Student Compliance requirements for immunisations and vaccinations, Code of Conduct and National Police Check.
Evidence of you meeting these requirements MUST be provided. UOW will forward your evidence to NSW Health who will verify your compliance status. This must be done prior to you attending a placement within either a NSW Health Facility or a private health facility.
UOW has produced the following one page “checklist” outlining the requirements. Please use this guide to ensure you have uploaded all the required documents.
UOW checklist
- UOW or UOW College Student ID Card
- Overseas Police Check OR (International students only)
- Vaccination Evidence – Immunisation History Statement (IHS), a Vaccination Record Card or other evidence)
- Covid-19 vaccinations: No longer mandatory, however is strongly recommended. If you have documented history of vaccinations, please upload.
- dTpa vaccination: One dose in the last 10 years.
- Hepatitis B vaccinations: Evidence of age-appropriate doses AND proof of immunity via serology OR AND proof of immunity via serology. If you have not received age appropriate Hepatitis B doses, please ensure your GP follows the "alternate schedule" as outlined in this .
- MMR vaccinations: Evidence of two doses OR serology proving immunity OR birth date before 1966.
- Varicella vaccinations: Evidence of age-appropriate doses OR serology proving immunity.
- Influenza vaccination: One dose of the current seasonal vaccination. A valid vaccination is one received on or after 1 March each year.
- : If you tick “Yes” for IGRA / TST, you must provide a copy of the results.
- (Medical Students only)
Checklist further information
UOW Student ID Card (Checklist item 1)
NSW Health require proof that you are a student at UOW. A copy of your UOW student ID card must be provided as part of your documentation (UOW ID Cards are only available after you have enrolled at UOW). Please provide a PDF copy under 3 MB in size.
Australian National Police Certificate (NPC – all students) (Checklist item 2)
All students (both local and international) must provide a valid Australian National Police Certificate (NPC).
The preferred method is to obtain a NPC through the or other state based police service check as these are automatically valid for five (5) years. If you are planning to do a health placement within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), it is recommended that you specifically obtain your NPC through either the or the (and not a listed ACIC accredited body) as ACT Health have slightly different requirements.
Disclosable Outcomes
If your NPC contains any disclosable outcomes (i.e., a charge or conviction etc.), you must independently apply for a Risk Assessment. The application process is detailed on the . The Verification Team will arrange a letter from your placement co-ordinator that must be included in the application.
International Students – Overseas Police Check/Stat Dec (Checklist item 3)
If you are an international student, you must also provide either:
- An Overseas Police Check (OPC) from your home country (and / or any country you have resided in since turning 18 years of age) OR
- A signed and witnessed Overseas Student Statutory Declaration form, as found on the . NB: this can only be completed after arriving in NSW as it must be witnessed by an authorised person as detailed on the form.
NOTE: Providing suitable police check documentation can be complex. To assist, HETI have provided some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) on their .
Code of Conduct Form (Checklist item 4)
You should read and familiarise yourself with the policy document listed on this form and when ready complete the document and submit. .
Vaccination Evidence – Immunisation History Statement (IHS), Vaccination Record Card etc. (Checklist item 5)
The best form of evidence of your immunisation and vaccination status is a copy of your (IHS) from Medicare Australia.
If your immunisation history statement does not capture your full immunisation / vaccination history, you will need to provide additional evidence. Other acceptable forms of evidence could be a childhood immunisation record (e.g., Baby Blue Book (or similar)); a school vaccination card; or other vaccination records. International vaccination cards are acceptable if they are in English and vaccination names, dates and doctors' signature are clearly visible.
Alternately, you can download a copy of the NSW Governments and have your GP or health care provider complete it (use the current version from this link as older versions will not be accepted). Ensure your GP/health care provider sign, date, and use a practice stamp for all entries made on the form.
Covid 19 Vaccinations (Checklist item 6)
While the Covid-19 vaccination is not mandatory at present, NSW Health strongly recommend that all staff (including students) stay up-to-date with Covid-19 vaccinations as recommended for their age and health status by the . Students are encouraged to provide evidence of past vaccinations if they are available.
For COVID-19 vaccines administered in Australia, the only acceptable evidence of vaccination is either, a Medicare Australia Immunisation History Statement (IHS), a COVID-19 and Influenza IHS or a COVID-19 digital certificate.
For COVID-19 vaccines administered overseas, overseas COVID-19 vaccination records are acceptable evidence if the NSW Health assessor is satisfied that the evidence is from a legitimate source, the vaccine is approved for use or recognised in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and it was received on or after 1 March 2020. Any vaccination records recorded in a foreign language must be translated to English using a translation service.
dTpa (Checklist item 7)
Evidence of one adult dose of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (dTpa) vaccine is required, it must have been received within the last 10 years and valid for the next 6 months to be acceptable. Vaccination MUST contain pertussis, i.e. DO NOT use ADT vaccine as it will not be accepted by NSW Health.
Serology is NOT acceptable evidence for dTpa
Hepatitis B (Checklist item 8)
To meet the full Hepatitis B requirements, you must include evidence of (at least) age-appropriate Hepatitis B vaccine doses (i.e., 3 x infant doses; OR 2 x adolescent doses (11-15yrs); OR 3x adult doses (16+yrs)) PLUS serology (blood test) proving immunity.
The following table defines the acceptable minimum timeframes between infant and adult Hepatitis B doses (as extrapolated from the ).
|
Options
|
Day Zero/
Month 0
|
Day 28/
Month 1
|
Day 56/
Month 2
|
Day 84/
Month 3
|
Day 112/ Month 4
|
Day 140/
Month 5
|
|
Option 1
|
Dose 1
|
Dose 2
|
|
|
Dose 3
|
Serology
|
|
Option 2
|
Dose 1
|
|
Dose 2
|
|
Dose 3
|
Serology
|
NB: Accelerated Hepatitis B dosage regimes that are shorter than the above timeframes will not be accepted by NSW Health.
A Hepatitis B Vaccination Declaration form is available if you do not have evidence of your vaccinations. Section A of the form should be completed and signed. NSW Health staff will complete Section B (there is no need to have an independent assessor complete section B).
Non-responders
A non-responder is a person who:
- is not infected with hepatitis B virus,
- has a documented history of an age-appropriate course of hepatitis B vaccine,
- has a current level of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) of <10 mIU per mL (4-8 weeks after a booster dose).
If you have not responded (i.e. are not immune) after receiving your age-appropriate vaccinations, and are not infected with hepatitis B, you should receive further booster doses.
Booster doses can be given ONE MONTH APART; booster doses DO NOT follow the timeframe from the table above which pertains to the age-appropriate doses.
If you are a non-responder, you should begin with one booster dose (e.g. 4th adult dose). After this booster dose wait 28 days and have a hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) serology test. If the resultant level of antibody (anti-HBs) is above 10mIU, upload evidence of the booster dose and full serology results and this will satisfy the requirements of NSW Health. DO NOT have further doses.
If your serology results highlight less than 10mIU NSW Health will require you to have a 2nd booster dose (at least one month after the 1st booster dose) and 3rd booster dose (at least one month after 2nd booster dose) and then repeat the serology 28 days after your final dose. If the results are above 10mIU then upload evidence of the vaccination and full serology results and this will satisfy the requirements of NSW Health. DO NOT have further doses.
If the results are below 10mIU and you have had all three recommended booster doses after your age-appropriate doses, upload evidence of ALL booster doses and ALL serologies which will be sent to NSW Health for assessment and further instruction.
NSW Health will advise appropriate protocols for students who are deemed persistent non-responders.
When discussing your personal Hepatitis B requirements with your doctor this document may be of assistance as it outlines the schedules that are accepted by NSW Health. See.
Full details can be found in the .
MMR Vaccinations (Checklist item 9)
Students are required to provide evidence of 2 doses of MMR vaccine at least 4 weeks apart or
- Positive IgG for Measles, Mumps and Rubella (Rubella immunity is provided as a numerical value with immunity status as per lab report) or
- Birth date before 1966.
Varicella Vaccination (Checklist item 10)
Students are required to provide evidence of 2 doses of Varicella vaccine at least 4 weeks apart or
- One dose if given before age 14 or
- One dose of Zostavax if given at age over 50 or
- Positive serology for Varicella or
- An Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) history statement that records natural immunity to chickenpox.
Influenza (Checklist item 11)
The influenza vaccine is seasonal and is only valid for the season it was produced and is required annually. The annual season commences on 1 June each year and finishes on 30 September.
The annual Influenza vaccine must be the Southern Hemisphere seasonal variant that is usually available from 1 March each year.
The UOW Verification Team will inform you when it is appropriate to be vaccinated and when you can submit your evidence.
Undertaking/Declaration Form (Checklist item 12)
You should read & familiarise yourself with the policy document listed on this form, then appropriately answer Question 2, which requires either (a.) or (b.) to be acknowledged (depending on your circumstances). Question 2 b. should only be selected when you know that you have a medical contraindication OR are a non-responder; this must be supported by evidence. Do not selected 2 b. if you suspect an issue but have no evidence.
Tuberculosis (TB) Assessment Tool (Checklist item 13)
In additional to your personal details, this form has multiple sections. Please complete ALL questions in each section. If you have ever had a positive TB skin test (TST) or a blood test (IGRA or QuantiFERON TB Gold, you must provide a copy of these reports with your form). After review, NSW Health will advise if additional screening is required.
Blood Borne Virus Declaration (Medicine Students Only) (Checklist item 14)
This form is Medical Students only. If you are a Medical Student, you must sign and initial this form as part of your evidence. Serology reports are not required.
Medical Exemption or Contraindications
If you have a medical exemption or contraindication to any vaccine, you will need to provide specific evidence of your circumstances to NSW Health. Full details of the requirements are listed under the FAQ’s page on the
General information
Students should acquaint themselves with the NSW Health Policy document as it details the requirements. Further detail and FAQ’s can be found on the .
It is strongly recommended that all students (including future students) start collating immunisation & vaccination evidence as soon as possible. Some vaccination courses can take several months to complete (e.g., a full course of Hepatitis B can take 6 months).
If you have not received all your required vaccinations, discuss options of receiving these ASAP with your GP / health care provider.
It is your responsibility to comply with these requirements and to maintain compliance throughout your course. If you do not, you may be prevented from attending placements.
Uploading your evidence to Sonia
Your evidence must be uploaded to SONIA, the UOW Student Placement System.
After enrolling at UOW you will be provided with online credentials to login to SONIA, this includes a UOW email address. Detailed instruction on how to upload your evidence can be found in the . The process is very easy, simply:
- Login to SONIA
- Navigate to the Checks tab
- Upload your evidence to the appropriate check, ensuring your evidence is a PDF file no greater in size than 3 MB (NB: JPEG, PNG, DOCX and HEIC files can NOT BE ACCEPTED)
Your evidence will be checked for completeness. If errors or omissions are found, a notification will be sent your UOW email address. Details of any issues will also be visible via the information link on each Check within SONIA. You must action these as soon as possible so that your evidence can be sent as a package to NSW Health for verification.
NOTE: Your evidence package can only be sent to NSW Health for verification once we have received at least the minimum vaccination requirements and ALL required Health documentation and police check information.
Keep all your original compliance documentation in a safe place.
You may be asked to produce certain documents prior to attending a facility / placement, even after you have become fully verified by NSW Health. Some private facilities may also request this evidence. You will also need to produce most of these documents to a future employer as your student compliance will not carry over into the workplace.
Further information can be found on the or directly from the UOW Verification Team via email uow-verification@uow.edu.au, or phone 4239 3555.
