Immunization Requirements for School

Every year OPH assesses the immunization record of every child attending a school in the Ottawa area, to ensure their immunizations are up to date according to Ontario’s Immunization Schedule.

If OPH does not have an up-to date immunization record or a valid medical / non-medical exemption on file for your child, you will receive a Notice of Incomplete Immunization Record during our annual immunization record assessment process informing you which vaccine(s) are missing in your child’s immunization record at Ottawa Public Health. You are responsible for updating OPH every time your child gets a vaccine. 

Update your child's record

Immunization requirements for school attendance

Under the "Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA)", children attending school in Ontario are required to be vaccinated against:

For more information about these diseases and the vaccines that prevent them, click on the diseases above.
Why did I receive a Notice of Incomplete Immunization Record from OPH?

 You received this letter for one or more of the following reasons: 

  • OPH does not have an immunization record on file for your child. 

  • Your child is missing one or more required vaccines as per the immunization requirements under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) 

  • Your child has received invalid dose(s) of vaccine as per the immunization requirements under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) 

  • OPH did not receive update for recent vaccines received  

  • OPH has not received a Ministry approved standardized medical or non-medical exemption form for your child to be exempted from receiving immunizations. 

What do I need to do?

Step 1:

Compare the immunization record Ottawa Public Health has on file for your child (shown in your Notice), with your immunization records at home and with your child’s health care provider.

Note: Only vaccines required for attending a school are shown in your Notice.

Step 2:

If your child received the vaccine(s) listed as missing in your letter, update your child’s immunization record with OPH.

If your child is missing the vaccine(s) listed. Please have your child receive the vaccine(s) through their health care provider, a walk-in clinic. Update Ottawa Public Health once your child receives the vaccine(s).  

If you are having difficulty accessing publicly funded vaccines in the community and/or need a nurse to assess your child’s immunization record from another country, contact the Ottawa Public Health Information Centre at 613-580-6744, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.
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Where can my child receive immunizations?

In Ontario, all immunizations required for children attending school are publicly funded. Immunizations can be given at your family doctor or at a walk-in clinic. Call ahead of your visit to make sure that the vaccine is available.  

If you are currently looking for a family doctor please register with Health Care Connect, and a nurse will help you find a doctor or nurse practitioner who is accepting new patients in our community. 

High school students, can attend their school’ s OPH catch-up clinic, and families facing barriers can visit one of OPH’s Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs offering routine vaccines.  

Community Vaccination Clinics

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is now offering routine immunization services for children and youth who live in Ottawa and who are facing barriers in getting their routine immunizations in the community. Families are now able to book routine vaccine appointments using the Kids Come First booking page. 

Please note, this booking page includes all clinics offering routine vaccines through the Kids Come First- Vaccinate and Up-to-Date campaign and not just those operated by Ottawa Public Health.

Ottawa Public Health clinic locations and hours of operation
If you require additional disability-related accommodations, please fill out the  Vaccine Accessibility Assessment Form at least 48 hours in advance of your appointment. With less than 48 hours, Ottawa Public Health will strive to meet all accommodation needs, however, may not be able meet all requirements.

Clinic

Address

Hours of operation
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary

School

 1515 Tenth Line Road
  • Wednesday: 12:45 to 7:10 pm
  • Thursday to Saturday: 9:45 am to 4:10 pm

Change of hours:

  • Clinic closed on Saturday September 30
Richelieu Vanier Community Centre 300 Des Pères Blancs Avenue
  • Tuesday September 26: 12:45 to 7:10 pm
  • Tuesday October 3: 12:45 to 7:10 pm
NEW
Tom Brown Arena		 141 Bayview Road
  • Wednesday October 4: 12:45 to
    7:10 pm
J.H Putman School

Note: Due to road closures, the best access to this clinic is from Maitland Avenue.

 2051 Bel-Air Drive
  • Tuesday and Wednesday: 12:45 to 7:10 pm
  • Thursday to Saturday: 9:45 am to 4:10 pm

Change of hours:

  • Clinic closed on Saturday September 30

Tony Graham Recreation Complex – Kanata

 100 Charlie Rogers Place
  • Tuesday: 12:45 to 7:10 pm
  • Thursday to Saturday: 9:45 am to 4:10 pm

New Clinic date: 

  • Wednesday, September 27: 12:45 to 7:10 pm

Change of hours:

  • Clinic closed on Saturday September 30
Vaccines offered at our clinics
  • Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (Two, four, six, 18 months)
  • Pneumococcal conjugate (Two, four, 12 months) 
  • Rotavirus (Two, four, six months)
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) (12 months) 
  • Meningococcal conjugate-C (12 months)
  • Varicella (Chickenpox) (15 months)
  • Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, Polio (Tdap-Polio) (Fur to six years old)
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella (MMR-V) (Four to six years old)
  • Meningococcal conjugate-ACYW135 (Grade 7)
  • Hepatitis B (Grade 7)
  • Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) (Grade 7)
  • Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) (14 to 16 years old)
  • COVID-19 vaccine will also be available during your routine vaccine appointment (Six months and over)

You can book an appointment for your child or youth who:

  • Lives and/or goes to daycare or school in Ontario; and
  • Is due for recommended vaccinations;
  • Does not have a family physician or pediatrician or a Primary Health Care nurse practitioner (PHC-NP) or cannot easily access/see their family physician, pediatrician, or PHC-NP.

Note that an Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card is not required to book an appointment. 

Book a vaccination appointment

 
Immunization exemptions

Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), a Statement of Medical Exemption or Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief are accepted. A parent/guardian who is submitting a medical or non-medical must complete a standardized ministry approved exemption form.

In the event of an outbreak related to a vaccine preventable disease, any child with a conscience or religious belief exemption, and certain medical exemptions on file will be excluded from attending school until the risk related to the outbreak has ended.

Before submitting an exemption, we encourage you to speak with a nurse to discuss how to best protect your child from vaccine preventable diseases.

For any questions related to vaccines or the exemption process, call OPH at 613-580-6744 to speak with a nurse.

Medical Exemption

A medical exemption can be submitted if a child attending a school in Ottawa has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving the vaccine or there is evidence of immunity to the disease making further immunization unnecessary.

  • Print the Statement of Medical Exemption, Immunization School Pupils Act.
  • Have your child’s health care provider complete the form (you may be charged a fee).
  • Send a copy of the completed exemption form to OPH by:
    • Mail: Immunization Unit, Mail Code 26-42, 100 Constellation Dr, Ottawa ON, K2G 6J8; or
    • Fax: 613-580-9660
  • Keep the original for your own records.
Non-medical Exemption

As of September 1, 2017, parents/ guardians of students attending school in Ottawa seeking a non-medical exemption must complete an information session. 

Information sessions have begun again after being put on hold at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. To complete the information session, parents/guardians must now watch the Ontario Ministry of Health Vaccine Education Video online and then schedule a telephone appointment with an Ottawa Public Health nurse.

The video and telephone appointment covers: 

  • Basic information about immunization
  • Vaccine safety
  • Immunization and community health
  • Immunization law in Ontario
  • A chance to discuss questions or concerns

If you are a parent/guardian who has already watched the Vaccine Education Video, you can book an appointment with an OPH nurse by calling OPH at 613-580-6744, or you can book your appointment online using the Information Session for Immunization of School Pupils Act Exemption booking page. You will be asked to fill out an attestation form to confirm that you have watched the entire video.

After you have finished your telephone appointment with an OPH nurse and submitted the required attestation form, you will then receive a Vaccine Education Certificate signed and dated by Ottawa Public Health. This certificate is needed to get your non-medical exemption signed.

Once your information session is complete:

  • Print and Complete a Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief, Immunization School Pupils Act. The Statement must be signed by a parent/guardian in the presence of a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits, note that there may be a cost. You may also visit a City of Ottawa Client Service Centre.
  • Send a copy of the Vaccine Education Certificate and completed exemption form to Ottawa Public Health by:
    • Mail: Immunization Unit, Mail Code 26-42, 100 Constellation Dr, Ottawa ON, K2G 6J8; or
    • Fax: 613-580-9660
  • Keep the original for your own records.

For questions or for more information, call OPH at 613-580-6744.
New to Canada or Ontario?

Before your child attends a school in Ottawa, we recommend that you contact your health care provider or Ottawa Public Health to assess your child's immunization record. This will ensure that your child's immunizations are up to date according to the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario, and that they are fully protected against vaccine preventable diseases.

Do you have more questions about immunizations?

View Ontario’s Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule to find out which vaccine your child needs next.

 

 

 

 

 

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