SUDBURY—Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) is reminding parents and guardians to ensure their children are caught up on immunizations and their records with public health are up to date.
In support of parents and guardians’ efforts, public health is continuing to apply the Immunization School Pupils Act (ISPA), ensuring all students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 are protected against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis (whooping cough), and many others. Over the next several weeks, public health will be mailing notification letters to all elementary students whose immunization records need to be updated with public health.
“We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays to routine immunizations. As many students are behind on receiving important vaccinations, we want to give people plenty of time to get their immunizations and records up to date in advance of the 2023-2024 school year,” said Hannah Ballantyne, manager with the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Program with PHSD. “There are about 4,700 elementary students enrolled in schools across our service area who will receive a letter. It’s important to get children up to date on vaccines to protect their health and increase overall community protection. Public health is here to answer any questions to help get kids caught up.”
The ISPA requires all Ontario students under 18 years of age to be up to date with their immunization records to attend school in person. Under the ISPA, public health must collect and maintain immunization records for all students under 18 years of age in its service area. Immunizations for school attendance designated under the ISPA are free, safe, and effective, and protect against cases and outbreaks of diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, pertussis and chickenpox.
In Ontario, parents and guardians are responsible for reporting immunizations for their school-aged children to a public health unit. Health care providers do not automatically report immunizations for their patients. Parents and guardians can consult their health care provider or PHSD to see if their child’s immunizations and records are up to date. A list of Ontario’s publicly funded immunizations that a child can received free of child for the best protection is available at ontario.ca.
PHSD recommends that parents check your child’s immunization record for any missing vaccines by visiting Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON). Make an appointment for your child for any missing information immunizations with your health care provider or PHSD. Update your child’s immunization record with PHSD using one of the following methods: visit the ICON website; call PHSD at 705-522-9200, extension 458 (toll-free 1-866-522-9200), or send a fax to 705-522-5182 (confidential).
Parents and guardians should be aware that students whose records remain out of date with public health at the start of the 2023-2024 school year could be suspended from school activities. Public health nurses are available to answer your questions by phone, email, and in person. Appointments for immunizations are available at PHSD offices during regular business hours. Evening and weekend appointments are currently available at public health’s 1300 Paris Street location in Sudbury.
For more information on immunization requirements or exemptions, parents and guardians can call PHSD at 705-522-9200, extension 458 (toll-free 1-866-522-9200), email ispa@phsd.ca, or visit phsd.ca.
