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Keep Your Vaccinations Up-To-Date
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
The Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario is reminding everyone to protect their families against vaccine-preventable diseases this National Immunization Awareness Week.
Parents should make sure that their children's vaccinations are up-to-date. Children must have proof of immunization against certain diseases to attend school in Ontario, unless they have a valid exemption. Parents must also provide records of their child's immunization to their local public health unit, and update the records when a child receives additional doses of vaccine; your family doctor may not do this for you.
To attend school in Ontario, children must be able to show they have received publicly funded vaccines for the following diseases:
- diphtheria
- tetanus
- polio
- measles
- mumps
- rubella
- meningococcal disease
- whooping cough (pertussis)
- chickenpox (varicella) - required for children born in 2010 or later.
Adults need to make sure they keep their vaccines up-to-date also. These vaccines include:
- Tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine every 10 years
- Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine: a dose in adulthood
- Influenza vaccine every fall
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at age 65.
Adults with special medical conditions or other high risk factors may need additional vaccines. They should talk to their health care provider or local public health unit about other recommended vaccines.
If you are thinking about having a baby you should also be sure you are up-to-date with your vaccinations. This will protect babies from serious problems as they grow throughout pregnancy, and into their infancy when they are most vulnerable.
You can read more information about What immunizations does my child need? on Settlement.Org.