Dr. Martin Lavoie, British Columbia’s deputy provincial health officer, has issued the following statement to make sure children in B.C. are up to date on all their vaccines as part of back-to-school preparations:
“As families start their preparations for back-to-school, I encourage parents and guardians to ensure their children are up to date on routine immunizations and are protected against illnesses, including measles, mumps and rubella, polio, pertussis (whopping cough) and chickenpox.
“Children will soon start to gather in schools or child care spaces, and they will interact with more people from outside of their households. This means they will be more exposed to various infectious diseases.
“Particularly this year, as we are seeing significant increases in measles cases in the province and across Canada, August is the perfect time to check whether your children’s immunization records are up to date and to book an appointment for any outstanding vaccinations. Getting your children vaccinated is the best way to protect them from vaccine-preventable illnesses that can cause serious illness, long-term disability and even death.
“Children under 18 years are eligible for publicly funded vaccines to protect them from more than a dozen diseases, such as influenza, polio, measles, chickenpox and COVID-19. To find out which immunizations are recommended for infants and children, visit HealthLink BC: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/
“You can book an appointment at a health unit or at some doctor or nurse-practitioner offices. If your child is over four years of age, you can also book an appointment to get them vaccinated at some pharmacies.
“School-age children are routinely offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Grade 6, and tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and meningitis vaccines in Grade 9 at clinics held in schools. They can also get vaccinated at health units, community health centres, some doctors’ and nurse-practitioners’ offices and some pharmacies.
“I encourage everyone to visit HealthLink BC for more information about recommended immunizations for children and young adults, and to receive any outstanding, routine vaccinations. You can also see your children’s immunization schedule on HealthLink BC or view immunization records through the Health Gateway: https://www.healthgateway.gov.bc.ca/
“People who were immunized outside of B.C. or those who have incomplete immunization records can update their records in the Provincial Immunization Registry.”
