School and Child Care Immunizations

To book a K-12 immunization appointment at Public Health, call 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006.

Immunizations Required for School and Child Care

In Ontario, the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) for schools and the Child Care and Early Years Act for licensed child care centres requires that all children attending be fully immunized or have a valid exemption on file for the following:

Tetanus
Diphtheria
Polio
Measles
Mumps
Rubella (German measles)
Meningococcal disease (meningitis)
Pertussis (whooping cough)
Varicella (chickenpox) – for children born on or after January 1, 2010.
- If your child has had chickenpox infection, a medical exemption form completed by your health care provider is required. See exemption for school aged children below.

The following vaccines are strongly encouraged: pneumococcal, rotavirus and annual influenza.

School-based Immunization Clinics

Immunization Schedule

For details on when these immunizations are required for your child, please review Ontario’s Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule (PDF, 1 page) or see recommended Immunization Schedule for Children from Infancy to 6 years.

Report your child’s immunizations

It is a parent or guardian’s responsibility to report their child’s immunizations to Public Health. Schools are not required to collect immunization records or send them to Public Health. Doctors are also not required to report immunizations given in their office to Public Health. Failure to submit records of the above immunizations or a valid exemption can result in school suspension.

NOTE: COVID-19 vaccinations for your child do NOT need to be reported to Public Health as it is not a required immunization for school.

You can report your child’s vaccines in one of the following ways:

Online: The Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) tool available at immunizewdg.ca allows you to report and view your child’s immunization record.
Email: vaccine.records@wdgpublichealth.ca
Phone: 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4396
Mail: Vaccine Records, 160 Chancellors Way, Guelph, Ontario N1G 0E1

For those who need help translating their immunization records into English, please contact Immigrant Services.

Notice from Public Health for Incomplete Immunization Records (K-12)

Public Health assesses and provides immunizations to ensure school-aged children meet the requirements under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). If you received a notice and your child is behind on required school or other immunizations, see below for FAQs for more information. Failure to provide proof of immunizations or a valid exemption can result in school suspension.

Why did I receive a notification from Public Health?

If you received a notification from Public Health regarding immunizations, it is because:

Public Health does not have a complete immunization record for your child on file, or
Your child requires immunization(s).

In Ontario, the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires that all children attending schools be fully immunized or have a valid exemption on file for the following:

Tetanus
Diphtheria
Polio
Measles
Mumps
Rubella (German measles)
Meningococcal disease (meningitis)
Pertussis (whooping cough)
Varicella (chickenpox) – for children born on or after January 1, 2010.

Some common reasons your child’s record may be incomplete are:

They have not received the immunizations on the notice.
They did not get the chickenpox vaccine because they have had chickenpox infection. If so, a valid medical exemption is required.
Immunizations must be given according to Ontario’s immunization schedule to be valid for school attendance. This may vary from other Canadian provinces and countries.
They got the immunizations, but they were given too early or the spacing between immunizations is too close.
Public Health was not notified that your child received an immunization (i.e. their record has not been updated). If they have the immunizations on the notice, visit immunizewdg.ca to update your child’s immunization record.

Failure to provide proof of these immunizations or a valid exemption can result in school suspension.

Will my child be suspended from school?

Students who do not have complete immunization records can be suspended from school under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). Please ensure that the mandatory vaccines are up to date and reported to Public Health as soon as possible.

When is the deadline to get my child’s immunizations up to date?

A deadline is indicated in the notification you received. Public Health is encouraging students to get their immunizations and submit updated immunization records to Public Health before the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

How can we get the required immunizations in the letter or their Hep B/HPV vaccines?

If the student needs to get the immunization(s) on the notice or complete their Gr. 7 Hep B or HPV immunizations you can:

Make an appointment with the student’s primary care provider and bring the enclosed notice and their immunization record. Then report the immunizations received at immunizewdg.ca.
Attend the Public Health clinic at the student’s school (dates TBD). NOTE: Remote learners are not permitted to attend the high school immunization clinics.
Make an appointment with Public Health by calling 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006. Any WDG student in Gr. K-12 can book an appointment to catch up on their school immunizations (including Hep B and HPV).

My child is a remote learner, how can they get their immunizations?

Remote learners are not permitted to attend the in-school clinics. Remote learners should:

Make an appointment with the student’s primary care provider and bring your public health notice and their immunization record. Then report the immunizations received at immunizewdg.ca.
Make an appointment with Public Health by calling 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006. Any WDG student in Gr. K-12 can book an appointment to catch up on their school immunizations (including Hep B and HPV).

How can I file an exemption for medical or religious/conscience reasons?

Visit wdgpublichealth.ca/exemption for instructions on the process and forms.

Where can I ask questions?

For questions about your child’s immunizations, call to speak to a Public Health Nurse at 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006.

If you have questions about submitting your vaccine record, call 1-800-265-7293 ext. 4396 (Note: This line is unable to answer specific questions about your child’s immunizations, please call the call centre.)

Immunization Resources

File Attachments

Daycare Exemption Letter - CCEYA (2018) and Immunization information (PDF, 5 pages, 140 KB)