The update:
You will need to provide data to support immunisation programmes in your school. This includes:
- sharing information leaflets and consent forms with parents or carers
- providing a list of eligible children and young people, and their parent’s or carer’s contact details to the School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) team
Sharing these contact details does not mean that a vaccine will be given. A parent or carer will need to give their consent for a vaccine to be given to their child.
There is a lawful basis for you to share information with school immunisation teams under article 6(1)(e) of UK GDPR. This states that the information can be shared if “processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller ”.
This means that the school can share this information with immunisation programmes as it is in the public interest.
Sharing information with immunisation programmes is part of the exercise of a school’s official authority. Schools also have a duty to support wider public health.
Data protection laws do not prevent you from sharing personal data where it is appropriate to do so in a fair and lawful way, and in this instance it is beneficial to do so.
The DfE Guidance 👉Sharing personal data in schools
For more information about sharing NHS related data view our NHS Best Practice Area. The NHS Best Practice Area is part of the Schools and Trusts Best Practice Library where there is data protection and cyber security guidance for schools and multi academy trusts.