Vaccine Exemptions

By law in Ontario

Public Health must have an up-to-date immunization record or valid exemption on file for each child attending:

In the event you wish to proceed with an exemption, follow the instructions on this page to make sure the exemption is applied to your child's immunization record. If you have any questions about vaccines or vaccine exemptions, contact the vaccine team.

Important notice if you are planning to get your child vaccinated

Once an exemption has been applied, Public Health will not contact you about vaccine(s) your child has been exempted from. This means your child will not receive vaccination reminders for exempted vaccines. If your intention is to get your child vaccinated in the future, you can:

  • Ask your health care provider what vaccinations your child needs or
  • Contact the vaccine team about a catch up schedule for missed vaccines

Avoid resubmitting Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief exemption document(s).

Ensure the following:

  • All sections of the form are completed in full and with accuracy (no spelling or date mistakes)
  • Only a current version of the form is submitted
  • No alterations are made to the form. The Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief is a prescribed form under legislation. Alterations or crossed out sections render the form invalid.
  • For school aged children under the Immunization of School Pupils Act only: The parent / legal guardian who obtains the Vaccine Education Certificate is the same one to complete the form

How do I

  • Protect my unvaccinated child

    Our immune system uses vaccines to practise fighting germs so it knows what to do when faced with them.

    Ontario's vaccination schedule for babies and toddlers and children at school protects your child when they are at most risk for those germs. Missing vaccinations puts your child at high risk of infection. Infection from certain disease can lead to serious, and sometimes fatal, outcomes.

    Without vaccines to keep your child safe, it's critical for you to:

    • Make sure the people surrounding your child are up-to-date with their vaccinations

    Consider other possible implications for your child's future:

    • Missing out on child care, school or other activities. In the event of an outbreak, Public Health notifies children at risk and may exclude them from child care or school for their protection until the risk of infection is over. In Niagara, this was done in 2015 for measles and 2017 for mumps.
    • Some volunteer applications may request proof of vaccination
    • Admission requirements for college and university programs. Check and see if up-to-date vaccinations are required, such as medical, child and youth care, education placements or practicum courses.

    If you're unsure, we're here to help. Contact the vaccine team.

  • Complete the exemption process for my school aged child

    Exemptions for the Immunization of School Pupils Act fall under the Ontario Ministry of Health.

    Statement of Medical Exemption

    Sometimes there is evidence a child is immune to a disease, making further vaccination unnecessary. Other times, a medical condition may prevent a child from receiving a vaccination.

    All three steps must be completed in the following order:

    1. Download and complete the Ontario Ministry of Health's Statement of Medical Exemption (Immunization of School Pupils Act). If you're unable to access the form, contact the vaccine team to have one emailed or mailed to you.
    2. Have an Ontario physician or nurse practitioner complete the form. Keep a copy for your personal records.
    3. Submit the original completed Statement of Medical Exemption to Public Health. See under 'Submit exemption information to Public Health'.

    Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief process

    To receive a vaccine exemption for a school aged child, the Ontario Ministry of Health requires the parent / legal guardian to complete a prescribed immunization (vaccine) education session and get a Vaccine Education Certificate. The Vaccine Education Certificate is submitted to Public Health with a commissioned Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Immunization of School Pupils Act) Affidavit.

    All four steps must be completed in the following order using the vaccine exemption checklist as a guide. The checklist will make sure your Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Immunization of School Pupils Act) form is ready to be commissioned by a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits.

    1. Watch the prescribed vaccine education video and then fill in the online form to create a Vaccine Education Certificate
      • You need to have an email address so the certificate can be emailed to you. Save a copy to keep with your health records.
        • If you do not want to receive the Vaccine Education Certificate by email, call Public Health at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7425
    2. The same parent / legal guardian who completed Step 1 needs to download and complete the Ontario Ministry of Health's Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Immunization of School Pupils Act) form. You will need one form for each child that needs an exemption. If you're unable to access the form, contact the vaccine team to have one emailed or mailed to you.
    3. The same parent / legal guardian who completed Steps 1 - 2 needs to have the Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Immunization of School Pupils Act) form signed by a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits. Bring a copy of the Vaccine Education Certificate with you. Keep a copy of the commissioned form for your records.
    4. A copy of the Vaccine Education Certificate with a commissioned Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Immunization of School Pupils Act) for each child must be submitted together to Public Health. If these documents are not received by Public Health at the same time, the document we have been sent will be returned back to you (if we have a return address) and you will be asked to resubmit them together. See under 'Submit exemption information to Public Health'.
  • Get an exemption for my child in child care

    Exemptions for the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 fall under the Ministry of Education.

    Child care exemption forms expire when your child enters school in September. At that time, you will need to complete the exemption process for your school aged child.

    Statement of Medical Exemption

    Sometimes there is evidence a child is immune to a disease, making further vaccination unnecessary. Other times, a medical condition may prevent a child from receiving a vaccination.

    All three steps must be completed in the following order:

    1. Download and complete the Ontario Ministry of Education's Statement of Medical Exemption (Child Care and Early Years Act). If you're unable to access the form, contact the vaccine team to have one emailed or mailed to you.
    2. Have an Ontario physician or nurse practitioner complete the form. Keep a copy for your personal records.
    3. Submit the original completed Statement of Medical Exemption to your licensed child care operator. Licensed child care operators send a copy to Public Health so we can apply it to your child's immunization record.

    Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief process

    All three steps must be completed in the following order using the vaccine exemption checklist as a guide. The checklist will make sure your Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Child Care and Early Years Act) form is ready to be commissioned by a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits.

    1. Download and complete the Ontario Ministry of Education's Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Child Care and Early Years Act) form. If you're unable to access the form, contact the vaccine team to have one emailed or mailed to you.
    2. Have it signed by a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits. Keep a copy of the commissioned form for your records.
    3. Provide the original completed Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief (Child Care and Early Years Act) to your licensed child care operator. Licensed child care operators send a copy to Public Health so we can apply it to your child’s immunization record.
  • Find a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits

    For your child to be exempted due to conscience or religious belief, you must complete the appropriate form and get it signed by a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits in Ontario. Use the vaccine exemption checklist as a guide when completing the form. The checklist will make sure your form is ready to be commissioned by a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits.

    Start by calling Niagara Region at 905-980-6000 or 1-800-263-7215 to book an appointment with a Commissioner for Taking for Affidavits. This service is free through the Office of the Regional Clerk, Niagara Region.

    You could also contact your city / town. There may be a fee charged for this service. You will need to:

    • Confirm if your city / town has a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits who does Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief Affidavits
    • Check if there is a cost and what methods of payment they take
    • Find out if an appointment is needed
    • Learn what photo identification is required

    Make sure your Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief gets applied to your child's immunization record. Before you see a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits, be sure you have followed all instructions that apply for your child under:

    • Complete the exemption process for your school aged child (Immunization of School Pupils Act)
    • Get an exemption for my child in child care (Child Care and Early Years Act)
  • Submit exemption information to Public Health

    To submit exemption information to Public Health, you can:

    Mail

    Write "Attention VPD" on the envelope
    P.O. Box 1052, Station Main
    Thorold, ON L2V 0A2

    Drop off

    Write "Attention VPD" on sealed envelope
    Drop off at a Public Health office from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
    Thorold / St. Catharines Public Health offices
    Niagara Falls Public Health offices
    Welland Public Health offices

    Fax

    905-688-8225

    Email

    Email vpd.vaccine@niagararegion.ca

    When all the information has been received and confirmed by Niagara Region Public Health to be complete, accurate and valid, the exemption will be applied to your child's immunization record. For children attending school, this means they will no longer risk suspension.

    If all the information has not been received, Niagara Region Public Health will contact you. This may be in the form of a mailed letter (for example, an Immunization Reminder Notice or an Order for Suspension from Attendance at School), phone call or email.

  • Find out why the exemption has not been applied to my child's immunization record

    Exemptions are applied to a child's immunization record when all the information has been received and confirmed by Niagara Region Public Health to be complete, accurate and valid.

    If you previously submitted an exemption form to Public Health for your child when they attended a licensed childcare facility, it's no longer valid. Child care exemption forms expire when the child enters school in September. You will now need to complete the exemption process for your school aged child.

    To find out why the exemption has not been applied to your child's immunization record, call Public Health at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7425. You can also double check that you followed all the instructions that apply to your child under:

    • Complete the exemption process for your school aged child (Immunization of School Pupils Act)
    • Get an exemption for my child in child care (Child Care and Early Years Act)
  • Cancel an exemption

    If a medical exemption no longer applies, or if you changed your mind and want to get your child vaccinated, contact the vaccine team and we'll help you with a vaccine catch up schedule for your child.

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