GREY-BRUCE – In-school vaccine clinics are returning to secondary schools in the area this winter for routine immunizations.
Grey Bruce Public Health will be holding the clinics in February and March to provide routine immunizations to eligible students.
Hepatitis B, meningococcal, and HPV-9 (human papillomavirus) vaccines are to be available for students attending secondary school (Grades 9-12) who have not yet received these Grade 7 vaccinations. Further, the three-in-one tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine will be available for students who are due for the age 14-16 booster.
“Ontario’s publicly funded routine immunization program is a critical component of the province’s health care system. The bottom line is this: vaccines save lives, are safe, ensure our children and youth have the best protection possible against vaccine-preventable diseases, and reduce the risk of outbreaks in schools and the community,” states Dr. Rim Zayed, physician consultant at Grey Bruce Public Health in a recent press release.
These clinics are being held to “address the backlog” of secondary students who missed their routine immunizations due to COVID-19.
The secondary students can give informed consent on their own behalf, but Grey Bruce Public Health encourages parents and guardians to have discussions surrounding immunizations with their children.
During the week of Jan. 9, individualized letters are to be sent home indicating the eligible vaccines students can get based on their record with Public Health. If any immunizations indicated in the letter have been administered already by a health care provider, parents are asked to follow the instructions included in the letter to update this information with Public Health. Parents are encouraged to submit the most recent immunization record to Public Health to ensure up-to-date information is on file.
For elementary school students, vaccine clinics will resume in April and go until early June. Eligible Grade 7-8 students will be able to receive the meningococcal vaccine, and first or second doses of Hepatitis B and HPV-9 vaccines.
Grey Bruce Public Health ensures that no COVID-19 vaccinations will be given out at these in-school vaccine clinics.
For more information, contact Grey Bruce Health Unit at communications@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca, call 519-376-9420 or visit their website https://www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/
