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Health Unit resumes school-based routine immunization program

April 14, 2022   ·   0 Comments

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, in partnership with local school boards, is offering school-based catch-up clinics for routine immunizations for Hepatitis B, Meningococcal Conjugate (Men-C-ACYW) and Human Papillomavirus.

This publicly-funded routing immunization program is normally offered to students in Grade 7, however disruptions in the program due to the pandemic have caused delays in offering these annual school-based clinics.

As a result, some students may be behind on their routine and required immunizations.

School-based immunization clinics will be offered to student in Grade 9 and 10 across Simcoe Muskoka secondary schools and for Grade 8 students in some elementary schools in the Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

Parents and guardians will receive information regarding upcoming catch-up clinics from their child’s school.

The Health Unit advises getting immunized according to the publicly funded immunization schedule for Ontario.

Having up-to-date immunizations help ensure that children and adolescents have the best protection against certain preventable diseases and help reduce the risk of outbreaks in schools.

Meningococcal disease is a mandatory immunization under the immunization of School Pupils Act.

Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are strongly recommended.

For more information about vaccines that are given in Grade 7 and the diseases they prevent, visit the Health District website at: www.smdhu.org.

By Brian Lockhart

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