Add vaccines to your back-to-school checklist
With school fast approaching, Niagara Region Public Health is reminding parents and students to get caught up on their missing vaccinations.
Public Health has recently mailed Orders for Suspension from school to families who have a student with an incomplete immunization record on file. Approximately 10,000 students in Niagara currently have an out of date record.
Suspension from school will start Sept. 26, but families still have time to get vaccinated, update their records and avoid suspension. Public Health clinics throughout Niagara have plenty of appointments and some walk-in availability. Families can contact Public Health at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7425 to book an appointment.
Keeping students up-to-date on their routine immunizations is critical to protecting the health of our community from diseases like measles, chickenpox and polio. Unfortunately, there are more outbreaks than usual of these infections in Canada and around the world. Getting students up-to-date with their vaccinations can prevent Niagara from experiencing similar outbreaks.
In the event of an outbreak, Public Health relies on complete immunization records to quickly identify who is at risk so these students can be notified and excluded from school for their protection until the risk of infection is over.
Vaccinations for children (under 18 years of age) must be reported to Public Health. Doctors and schools don’t do this for you. All vaccinations received can be reported to Public Health either online, by phone, by fax, in person or by mail.
Media Inquiries
Courtney Westerhof
Niagara Region Public Health
905-688-8248 ext. 7303
courtney.westerhof@niagararegion.ca
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