Vaccines, Canada and Law – Part 2 – Information on the “required” and “offered” school vaccinations for Ontario children and adolescents
By Alan Mercer
(Vaccines, Canada and Law – Part 1)
The purpose of this post (and series) is to provide specific information on the vaccines administered to children in Ontario–and it should be helpful to other parts of Canada also. Most of the information in this post is from the government of Ontario (provincial government) and the Canadian federal government. Also, I intend to add a link to information from each product manufacturer and then extract some information from each of those documents. If readers notice any errors or misunderstandings, or want to clarify points, please feel free to comment.
Read the language carefully when you hear the term “mandatory” in the media, or “requires”/”requirements”/”required” at government websites
Immunization requirements for school attendance: information for health care providers
This is the page for “health care providers” (accessed Jan. 6, 2015).
Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires that children and adolescents attending primary or secondary school be appropriately immunized against designated diseases, unless they have a valid exemption
(Besides medical exemptions)
What is the Immunization of School Pupils Act?
• Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires that parents of children attending
primary or secondary school provide their local medical officer of health with proof of their child’s immunization against designated diseases.
• Public health units assess immunization coverage and contact parents of students for whom they do not have complete immunization records.
• Exemptions from immunization requirements are allowed for medical reasons (i.e., prior immunity or medical contraindication) or based on an affidavit of conscience or religious belief.
• Children for whom the public health unit does not have required immunization records or a valid exemption may be temporarily suspended from school until the required records are provided.
. . . Alternatively, if the parent does not wish to have the child immunized, the parent may choose to complete a statement of conscience or religious belief. . . . [in a section on one of the vaccines]
Are exemptions permitted for children whose parents are religiously or philosophically opposed to immunization?
• Yes. Parents can obtain a statement of conscience or religious belief affidavit form from their public health unit or on the Ontario government’s online forms repository at:
http://www.forms.ssb.gov.on.ca.
• A statement of conscience or religious belief must be sworn before a commissioner for taking
affidavits in and for the courts in Ontario.
• Parents should contact their public health unit for more information.
List of so-called “Required” Vaccines for Schoolchildren
Immunizations for School Attendance (http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/immunization/ispa.aspx) (2014/2015 update mentioned)
Notice how this page (accessed Jan. 6, 2015) doesn’t mention the information about EXEMPTIONS. This page is for the PUBLIC. The other pages I quoted above are for HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS to read. “Special” people who (think they) know what they’re doing–more expertly conditioned than the rest of us.
Q. What diseases do children and adolescents need to be immunized against to attend school in Ontario?
A. Children and adolescents attending primary or secondary school in Ontario must have proof of immunization against the following diseases:
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Polio
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Meningococcal Disease – NEW requirement for 2014/15 school year
Pertussis (whooping cough) – NEW requirement for 2014/15 school year
Varicella (chickenpox) – NEW requirement for 2014/15 school year, for children born in 2010 or later
Also, note there are also some vaccines that appear to be “offered” to your children at different stages, according to this document for example.
Identifying the Vaccine Products Used in Ontario and Canada
Ontario’s Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules
Updates to the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario (December 2014)
Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario – August 2011
Keep our children healthy and our schools disease-free
Routine Childhood Vaccines – has some factual information (details about the vaccine names I mean) mixed with marketing about how “routine” it is. The children look happy and nobody’s having any problems. It’s so “routine.” I noticed that a disturbing amount of information on the Ontario government website about vaccines is one-sided propaganda, so I think readers always have to make an effort to question [dirty word] and validate marketing and promotional information in order to ascertain the truth. But if people did that, they might start asking questions about the wars, about the secret trade agreements, about Agenda 21 public-private NGO activity, about the banking system (bail-outs and “bail-ins”), and about everything else.
Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario – January 2009 (Older info)
Quadrivalent meningococcal ACYW-135 vaccine (Menactra®): Q&A for health care providers
Meningococcal B Vaccine (Bexsero®): Q&A for health care providers (http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/immunization/docs/meningococcal_b_hcp_qa_en.pdf) – Includes information on reporting adverse events for this specific vaccine:
What should be done for adverse events following immunization (AEFIs)?
Provincial reporting of AEFI or post-marketing surveillance is an important component of the overall safety assessment of any vaccine. Under section 38 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act,R.S.O. 1990, Ontario physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health care providers (as listed under the section) are required to inform the person who consents to immunization of the importance of immediately reporting to a physician or a registered nurse in the extended class (nurse practitioner) of any reaction that may be a reportable event. Local public health units should subsequently be notified of the adverse event. The AEFI reporting form can be found on the Public Health Ontario (PHO) website along with a questions and answers fact sheet, available at:
www.publichealthontario.ca/en/BrowseByTopic/InfectiousDiseases/Pages/ImmunizationResources.aspx.
Please send the completed form to your local public health unit.
Government of Canada: Canadian Immunization Guide (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cig-gci/index-eng.php redirects to https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/canadian-immunization-guide.html but not the same as original info)
**Recommended Immunization Schedules (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cig-gci/p01-12-eng.php#tab8)**
Active Vaccines (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cig-gci/p04-eng.php redirects to new page https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines.html but not same info)
Product Information
Canadian Government: Drug Product Database
Package Insert Database from American Organization that Promotes Immunization
Adverse Reaction Databases
Canadian Government: Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction Online Database
U.S. VAERS Database: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
More Info:
Vaccine waiver for Ontario school pupils – statement of conscience or religious belief (links to copy of form, also more detail in comments)
Ontario high school students threatened with suspension over immunization
Vaccines Topic Page
Vaccines, Canada and Law – Part 1 – Background Information
Adverse Reactions to Shingles Vaccine – many comments from readers
Continued