Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says about 12,000 students in the region are behind on their immunization schedules.
In a post on its website, the agency said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many families to fall out of routines and shift priorities.
“One particularly important routine that may have been disrupted is your child’s immunization schedule,” public health said, noting that it is not suspending students for not having updated records.
The agency is responsible for assessing and providing the required immunizations to school-aged children under the Immunization of Students Pupils Act.
Vaccinations required to fight various diseases such as mumps and polio, follow a provincial immunization schedule based on a child’s age.
“However, COVID-19 may have affected this schedule. In fact, in WDG alone, 12,000 students are currently behind on their immunization schedule,” public health said.
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To help students get up to date with their immunization schedule, public health is offering vaccination appointments at its offices over March Break, with some additional appointments available until June.
In April and May, the agency will also be providing Hepatitis B, HPV and Meningococcal vaccines to Grade 7 and Grade 8 students who may have missed these vaccines due to the pandemic.
Public health noted that the Meningococcal vaccine is mandated by the province, while the other two are “highly recommended for long-term health and protection.”
High schools will also be hosting vaccine clinics for the Tdap booster (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) in March, as well as any other vaccines that students may have missed.
More information on vaccine clinics can be found on public health’s website. A child’s immunization record can be found on a separate public health site or by calling 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4396.
“It’s very important that parents and caregivers make sure their child’s immunization records are complete and up to date,” public health said.
“Check to make sure whether your child’s health-care provider is reporting your child’s immunizations to public health. Health-care providers are not required to report immunizations to public health, so it’s your responsibility to ensure records are up to date.”
“Due to the disruptions many experienced due to COVID-19, WDG Public Health will not prohibit your child from attending school if their immunizations are not up to date for the 2021-22 school year,” the agency said.
Exemptions are also being granted for religious, conscience or medical reasons. Public health said each type of exemption has different forms and requirements that must be completed before the exemption is granted.
Under provincial law, without a valid exemption, students in Ontario must be immunized against:
- diphtheria
- tetanus
- polio
- measles
- mumps
- rubella
- meningitis (meningococcal disease)
- whooping cough (pertussis)
- chickenpox (varicella) – required for children born in 2010 or later
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