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Schools

Immunization

Immunization protects us from a number of harmful diseases. These diseases can have very serious complications, including death. Bacteria and viruses that cause disease travel easily throughout the world. They are easily spread person to person and can live on surfaces such as taps, counter tops, door handles and skin for several hours, even days. 

For information about school requirements under Immunization of School Pupils Act, including our plans for surveillance and suspension, visit our school health reporting and requirements page.

Whole School Approaches 

A healthy school includes working in partnership with public health to help students in schools catch up and keep up on their routine immunizations. Consider the following activities as part of your health and well-being action plan:

Have a Process in Place for Student Registration

Please ensure that all new students report their immunization to the health unit at the time of registration. Forward any hard copy immunization records you receive from students or their parents/families to the health unit at [email protected] or by Purolator.

Families can use this QR code to link to SMDHU reporting website

 QR code

Families who register their children for JK/SK and have not provided their child(s) immunization record to SMDHU, our nurses will be assessing student in JK/SK in Early Fall and follow up with families who are outstanding for this piece of school registration. Letter’s will be sent home in student back packs.

Raise Awareness about School Required Vaccinations

Share information with families to help their child catch up, keep up, and stay on track with routine vaccinations that required for attending school, under the Immunization of School Pupils Act.

Educator and Classroom Resources

  • Ophea’s Vaccination Talks Toolkit – Grades 1 – 8. A free online resource with information to support students in developing health literacy related to vaccination. The resource makes connections to multiple strands of the Ontario Curriculum.

Health Unit Programs and Services 

The health unit offers a variety of services to support student health and immunization, including Grade 7 immunization clinics in elementary schools, review of student immunization records and catch up immunization clinics held at health unit locations across Simcoe Muskoka.
Beginning in October, Immunization Program nurses will visit schools with students in Grade 7 to provide routine immunizations (Meningococcal ACYW-135, Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus). They will return between April-June 2025 to complete this immunization series.

We contact schools each spring to schedule immunization these clinics. We visit once in the fall and again in the spring. Nurses will follow-up with emails to the school approximately 1-2 weeks prior to the school clinic. The school immunization nurse will request a space that provide a safe and private environment for students to receive their vaccines. Size of space may depend on number of staff health unit needs to bring to the school, however use of a library or small classroom are ideal.

We will also provide schools in the last week of August or first week of September with a hard copy package containing parent awareness and student consent forms for distribution home.

Further information is available on our student health immunization webpages.

Students who are 14-16 years of age, routinely receive Tdap vaccine, or ten years past their 4-6 year booster. This is routinely provided to student by their healthcare provider. Those who do not have a healthcare provider can be directed to Immunization Clinics (simcoemuskokahealth.org) to book appointment.
The health unit offers a variety of services to support student health through immunization, including routine review of student immunization records and public clinics held at health unit locations across Simcoe Muskoka.

For schools looking to support newcomer students and/or students whose first language is not English, we offer phone support using a translation line (available in 200 languages). International students require under ISPA to be up to date with the Ontario Immunization schedule. We can help families understand immunization requirements, help students catch up on any missed vaccines and ensure their record is updated to prevent suspension.  Call Health Connection at 1-877-721-7520.

For students who are in grade 7, we have included a QR code in the consent packages that we mail home to families to help them translate information into their language of choice so they have informed understanding and decision making when consenting to their students immunizations.

For Students, Parents and Families

Engage students in activities to promote immunization, such as:

Resources to share with students include:

There are many ways for parents, caregivers, and families to engage in helping to ensure their child/ren(s) immunizations are up to date, along with ways to improve your child’s vaccine experience. Making a child’s vaccination experience better and decreasing the amount of pain they may feel is very important. If a child has a bad experience getting a vaccine, they may not trust their healthcare provider and may not want to get other vaccines or health care when needed in the future.

There are many things that can decrease pain and lessen stress and anxiety for children and their parents. Using a numbing cream, giving children a chance to ask questions, and informing them about what to expect, letting them choose ways they can be most comfortable when getting a vaccine can help make children’s vaccination experience uneventful and even positive.

Resources to support your child(ren):

Choose from the sample newsletter inserts below to share key messages with parents/families of elementary school students:

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Choose from the sample newsletter inserts below to share key messages with parents/families of secondary school students:

Are you 14-16 years of age?

Did you know that all students aged 14-16 years of age are required to have a Tdap immunization? The last Tdap immunization you would have received is when you were 4-6 years of age, this is the booster to that dose. This immunization is very important to protect you against serious illness and disease such a Tetanus (which you can get from stepping on a rusty nail) or pertussis which is a respiratory illness. If you have received this vaccine, make sure you report this to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.

For More information

  • Grade 7 – Hepatitis B, Meningococcal C-ACYW, and Human Papillomavirus videos and fact sheets
  • Ontario's HPV Immunization Program – information Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. 
  • Immunize Canada – information related to immunization, vaccine safety, and vaccine preventable diseases in Canada. 
  • Canadian Pediatric Society – information related to vaccine preventable disease and immunizations in Canada. 
  • Public Health Agency of Canada – information related to immunization, vaccine safety, and vaccine preventable diseases in Canada.
For more information, call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 or email [email protected]. 
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