Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reminding parents and guardians to ensure their children are caught up on immunizations and their records with Public Health are up to date.
According to Hannah Ballantyne with the vaccine program, the agency is continuing to apply the Immunization School Pupils Act (ISPA), ensuring all students from junior kindergarten to grade eight are protected against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, and many others.
She says 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.
Ballantyne says the agency recognizes the pandemic caused delays in routine immunizations so they are giving people plenty of time to get their immunizations and records up to date in advance of the 2023-2024 school year, adding there are about 4700 elementary students under 18 who will receive a letter.
A list of Ontario’s publicly funded immunizations that a child can receive free of charge for the best protection is available at www.ontario.ca
How to check or update your child’s immunization records
1. CHECK: Check your child’s immunization record for any missing vaccines by visiting Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) (Government of Ontario).
2. VACCINATE: Make an appointment for your child for any missing immunizations with your health care provider or Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
3. UPDATE: Update your child’s immunization record with Public Health Sudbury & Districts using one of the following methods:
1. Visit Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) website (Ontario Government).
2. Call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200, ext. 458 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).
3. 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Parents and guardians should be aware that students whose records remain out of date with Public Health at the start of the 2023-2024 school year could be suspended from school activities.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 your answer questions by phone, email, and in person. Appointments for immunizations are available at Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ 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 Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200, ext. 458 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200), email [email protected], or visit www.phsd.ca
