Make Vaccines A Priority On Your Back-To-School Checklist
Are your children up-to-date with their vaccinations? There have been many myths floating around recently about vaccines. All three of our little ones receive vaccines when they are due. They are easily administered and free of charge to all residents of Ontario. The littlest doesn’t even cry anymore when he gets his shots. I can’t believe it… he’s the first one to do so at such a young age (18 months).
My husband and I know how important it is to stay on track of our family’s vaccines. It’s necessary to prevent illnesses that have been largely eliminated for years in Ontario from coming back. We’ve done our research and can confidently say we’re making a well-informed decision. We know that they are tested thoroughly by professionals that have our best interests at heart. Vaccinations have been saving lives around the world for 200 years by helping families fight serious illness and prevent outbreaks in communities. We know it will help protect our little ones, especially in an environment where they are around other children at school or in sports (as all three have a healthy involvement in many social activities). It will also help prevent other children who cannot receive vaccines because of medical reasons, from getting sick with life-threatening diseases.
Making a well-informed decision can help parents have more peace of mind that their little ones are safe. Visit ontario.ca/ChildhoodVaccines and check out the Immunization Schedule for a detailed list of vaccines and age requirements. If your child has missed a vaccination, or you're unsure about which vaccinations they’ve already received, talk to your health care provider or your local Public Health Unit to get their vaccination schedule up-to-date.
There’s a handy little yellow card you can get from your doctor’s office that helps parents keep track of vaccines when they’re given and when they’re due. It will also be the easiest way to provide schools with necessary information when applying for daycare or school. My husband and I have a yellow card for all three little ones and have found it to be very useful, especially so for us, because we’ve moved twice in the last four years.
For the full immunization schedule for children, visit Ontario.ca/ChildhoodVaccines.
Disclosure - This post was developed in association with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The opinions of the author are their own.
