Immunizations for youth (12 to 18 years)

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Vaccines are an important part of healthy growth and development. Think of them the same way you would healthy eating, physical activity, or proper sleep.

Vaccines are a proven and safe way to prevent serious infections. Although we rarely see most of these diseases in Canada now, they still exist. If we stop vaccinating children, these diseases will return. Vaccines sometimes even prevent death.

Vaccines help your body to help itself. Your body will make antibodies when you get a vaccine. Antibodies help your immune system to identify and destroy a virus. This will protect your child and those around them.

Most vaccines are given by injection. Some are given orally (in the mouth). New types of vaccines, such as nasal sprays, make them less painful for some patients.

It is important to report any vaccines your child receives to Ottawa Public Health (OPH). OPH keeps a record of your child's vaccinations to help protect public safety. This is important if there is ever a disease outbreak.

Parent blurb

Your child's health care provider and school are not mandated to report your child's immunization to OPH. Please visit our reporting page for more information on reporting vaccines to OPH.

What vaccines do my youth need?

Grade 7

You will receive a consent form

from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) when your youth is in Grade 7. Students need a signed consent to get the Meningococcal, Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines. Students are old enough to give consent for the vaccines but usually co-sign along with their parent(s). Make sure that you and your youth sign and return the consent form the day of their school clinic.

If they happen to miss a clinic, students can wait until the next school clinic or they can book an appointment at a catch-up clinic. Call OPH at 613-580-6744 if you need to schedule one for your youth.

Between the ages of 14 and 16 years

Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (Tdap)

Your child should have received their first booster dose between the ages of 4 and 6 years. Check your youth's immunization record to find out when your youth was vaccinated. This 14-16 year old booster dose is required 10 years from their 4-6 year old booster dose. The Tdap vaccine is not given in schools. You will need to get it from your healthcare provider. If you do not have a healthcare provider, you can get it from a walk-in clinic.

If you are unsure whether your child has received one or more of these vaccines please call 613-580-6744 and speak to a nurse who can discuss which vaccines your child requires.

Visit our diseases prevented by routine vaccination page for more information on these diseases.

See what vaccines are publicly funded in Ontario in this resource.

Reducing pain during vaccination

Getting a vaccine might be a scary for some youth. Try some of these helpful tips; they may be your best shot to help your youth overcome their fear.

Offer helpful distractions such as:

Talking to your youth
Having them listen to music with earphones
Getting them to play games or texting on a cell phone

For older children and youth who are very fearful, think about medications that numb the skin:

Talk to your health care provider about creams such as EMLA^® or Ametop^® that can help numb the skin. They are available without a prescription.
Ask your health care provider to show you the right locations to apply the cream. Keep in mind that, on some visits, more than one injection may be given. Read the instructions before applying the product. It must be on the skin 30 to 60 minutes before the injection(s).
Offering praise and a reward after vaccinations can help children and youth of all ages!

Vaccine safety

Please visit our Vaccine safety page.

School Clinics

Nurses from Ottawa Public Health will hold clinics at your child's school two times this year (Fall and Spring).
Sign the consent form
for each vaccine you want your child to receive.
Have your child take the signed consent form
back to school on the school's clinic date. (the school will communicate these dates to parents, or see dates below).

Vaccines offered

Type of Vaccine	How Many Doses?	When is it given in school?	Who is eligible for the 2018-2019 School Year?
Meningococcal C-ACWY-135 (Menactra^®)	1 dose	Fall or Spring	Mandatory in grade 7. Anyone born in or after 1997 is eligible for one publicly funded dose
Hepatitis B (Recombivax^®HB or Engerix-B^®)	2 doses	Fall & Spring	All grade 7-8 students
Human Papillomavirus Gardasil^®9	2 doses if child is 14 years of age or younger when they receive the first dose 3 doses if child is 15 years of age or older when they receive the first dose	Fall & Spring	All grade 7-9 boys & girls All grade 10-12 girls

School Immunization Clinic Schedule for 2018-2019

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB)

School	Cycle 1	Cycle 2
A. Lorne Cassidy Elementary School	December 17	June 17
Alta Vista Public School	November 13	May 10
Bell High School	November 8, 9	May 13, 15
Blossom Park Public School	October 26	May 30
Broadview Ave. Public School	October 23, 24	April 23, 24
Castor Valley Public School	October 29	May 27
Cedarview Middle School	October 2, 3, 4	April 3, 4, 5
D. Roy Kennedy Public School	December 7	June 13
Dunning-Foubert Elementary School	November 15	May 16
Emily Carr Middle School	November 22	May 27
Earl Of March Secondary School	December 10, 11, 12	June 10, 11 ,12
Fallingbrook Elementary School	November 2	June 17
Featherston Drive Public School	November 13	May 10
Fielding Drive Public School	October 30	May 9
Fisher Park Public School & Summit Alternative	October 15, 16, 17	April 30, May 1, 2
Glashan Public School	September 25, 26, 27	April 3, 4, 5
Glen Cairn Public School	December 3, 7	June 14
Goulbourn Middle School	December 10, 11, 12	June 10, 11, 12
Hawthorne Public School	November 22	May 29
Henry Larsen Elementary School	November 28	May 31
Henry Munro Middle School	October 29, 30	April 26, 29
Heritage Public School	October 23	June 13
Hopewell Avenue Public School	October 3	April 29
Huntley Centennial Public School	November 9	May 31
J. H. Putman Public School	October 18, 19	April 26
Jack Donohue Public School	October 24, 25	May 21, 22
Kars on the Rideau	November 26, 27	May 27, 28
Katimavik Elementary School	November 21	June 17
Longfields-Davidson Heights High School	October 1, 2, 4	April 1, 2, 3
Maple Ridge Elementary School	December 18	June 18
Merivale High School	November 28, 29	May 29, 30
Metcalfe Public School	October 16	April 15
Pinecrest Public School	October 4	April 11
Queen Elizabeth Public School	November 30	June 14
Roberta Bondar Public School	November 5, 6	May 6, 8
Sawmill Creek Elementary School	October 1	May 29
Sir Robert Borden High School	October 1, 2, 3	May 13, 14, 15
Steve Maclean Elementary School	October 25, 26	May 27, 28
Stonecrest Elementary School	November 8	May 17
Summerside Public School	November 14	May 23
Terry Fox Elementary School	December 7	June 18
Trillium Elementary School	November 6	May 24
Vimy Ridge Public School	November 29	May 30
Vincent Massey Public School	October 11, 12	May 2, 3
W. O. Mitchell Elementary School	November 1	June 4
York Street Public School	November 30	June 14

Ottawa Catholic School Board

School	Cycle One 2018	Cycle Two 2019
All Saints H.S.	October 29, 30, 31	April 29, 30, May 1
Frank Ryan Senior E.S.	October 15, 16, 17	April 15, 16 May 6
Holy Trinity Catholic H.S.	October 17, 18, 19	April 16, 17, 18
Immaculata H.S.	November 1, 2	May 2, 3
Lester B. Pearson Catholic H.S.	October 26, 31	May 13, 14
Mother Teresa H.S.	October 17, 18, 19	April 18, 23, 25
Notre Dame H.S.	December 13, 14	June 13, 14
Sacred Heart H.S.	October 22, 23, 24	April 23, 24, 25
St. Francis Xavier H.S.	October 10, 11, 12	April 10, 11, 12
St. Joseph H.S.	December 3, 4, 5	June 4, 11,12
St. Mark H.S.	October 22, 23	April 24, 25
St. Matthew H.S.	November 26, 27	June 4, 5
St. Michael, Fitzroy School	November 9	May 31
St. Patrick's I.S.	December 3, 4	June 11, 12
St. Paul H.S.	November 14, 15	May 14, 15
St. Peter H.S.	November 20, 21, 22	May 21, 22, 23

Conseil des écoles catholiques du centre-est

Schools	CYCLE ONE 2018	CYCLE TWO 2019
Collège catholique Franco-Ouest (Pavillon)	September 17, 18	April 25, 26
Collège catholique Mer Bleue (Pavillon)	September 17, 18	May 24
Collège catholique Samuel-Genest (Pavillon)	October 10, 11, 12	April 10, 11, 12
École secondaire catholique Béatrice-Desloges (Pavillon)	October 22, 23, 24	May 2, 3, 6
École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité (Pavillon)	October 1, 2, 3	May 13, 14, 15
École secondaire catholique Garneau (Pavillon)	October 18, 19	April 18, 26
École secondaire catholique Paul Desmarais (Pavillon)	September 19, 20	May 13, 14
École secondaire catholique Pierre-Savard (Pavillon)	October 9, 15, 16	April 16, 17

Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario

SCHOOL	CYCLE 1 2018	CYCLE 2 2019
École élémentaire et secondaire publique Maurice Lapointe	September 27	June 10
École élémentaire publique Michel Dupuis	Spetember 26	April 8
École élémentaire publique Julie Payette	September 20	April 23
École élémentaire publique Trille des Bois	September 28	May 3
École secondaire publique De-La-Salle (Pavillon)	October 26, 29, 30	April 29, 30, May 1
École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde (Pavillon)	September 12, 13, 14	June 4, 5, 6
École secondaire publique Louis-Riel (Pavillon)	September 24, 28	April 2
École secondaire publique Omers- Deslauriers (Pavillon)	September 26	April 9

Ottawa Independent Schools

Ottawa Independent Schools	First cycle 2018	Second cycle 2019
Abraar School	October 22	March 29
Centre Jules Leger	September 19	March 27
Elmwood School	September 27	April 8
Lycée Claudel	September 27	May 8
MacDonald Cartier Academy	September 28	March 29
Ottawa Christian School	September 21	April 2
Ottawa Islamic School	September 26	April 8
Turnbull School	October 10	April 2

Frequently asked questions

Looking for more information? Visit our Frequently asked questions page.

Do you have more questions?

Speak with a Public Health Nurse. Call the Ottawa Public Health Information Center (OPHIC) at 613-PARENTS [613-727-3687] (TTY: 613-580-9656) or email Ottawa Public Health at ParentinginOttawa@ottawa.ca
Connect with a Public Health Nurse and other parents on the Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page
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Youth (12 to 18 yrs)

Immunizations for youth (12 to 18 years)

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