Back-to-school is a busy time of the year for everyone. Your children are making lists of all the supplies they think they need, parents are fretting over what to make for lunch all year long and even teachers are crazily rushing around, setting up the classroom to welcome those hungry minds back to school. In all of this chaos, it is only natural to overlook a thing or two. But there are some things we really can’t afford to forget. This year the Government of Ontario wants to help make sure you don’t forget about protecting your child’s health.
Tick another box off on your back-to-school checklist by getting your child immunized. Below are some of the things you should know about the importance of immunization:
1) They help keep your community safe.
- In order to attend school in Ontario, children need to be immunized against nine diseases. They are measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, varicella (chicken pox), pertussis (whooping cough) and meningococcal disease.
- Making sure that your child receives these vaccines keeps your whole family safe, as well as those in the community around you.
2) When you vaccinate your children, their bodies get stronger and become more resistant to disease.
- Vaccines were developed to keep people safe and healthy and they have been doing this for more than 200 years!
- Vaccine schedules are carefully mapped out so your child gets them when their body is ready for it and needs it the most.
3) Incorporate vaccinations into your complete health routine.
- Talk to your family doctor about vaccines; don’t assume they will tell you what you need to knwo, when you need to know it.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the vaccines your child needs
- Prepare your child for their vaccine visit. Be honest with them about what will happen.
- Reiterate to your child how important vaccines are in keeping them healthy.
- Stay calm when your child is getting their shot and distract them in ways you know will work best for your child. Nurse your baby, bring a toy or book for older kids or even sing a song together!
- Don’t forget yourself! Many adults think they are up-to-date on their own vaccines, when they are not.
4) Keep a record of your child’s vaccinations and stay on schedule.
- When your child receives their first vaccines you will be given a yellow card that lists all the vaccines they will need and at what age they should get them. Keep this card in a safe place.
- Take a photo of your yellow card and keep it safe. This is proof your child has received their vaccines at the right time and it is needed for entry into school in Ontario.
- Always bring your yellow card to every immunization appointment.
For more information on immunization, you can visit www.ontario.ca/vaccines, a more detailed immunization schedule is also available here.
FT&PD
Suz
**Disclosure: this post,while on a topic I believe strongly in, is not a sponsored post and opinions shared are my own.
Good information,we need to keep our kids safe.
Agreed!
My girls are both up to date with their vaccinations. especially my oldest who starts school for the first time in a couple weeks
I was happy to read this Kristen! I hope your first born is enjoying school 🙂
We’re up to date! can’t believe some people don’t pay attention to this….
I agree! It is one of the most important parts of our health care regime..
Has anyone actually read the leaflet that accompanies any one of these vaccines or done ANY investigative research on the topic of vaccine injury? The diseases the vaccines are meant to prevent are much easier to treat that any one of the ever increasing numbers of severe illnesses that they cause. I was a firm pro-vaccinator until very recently when I started to actually DO research not just take the government’s word for it. There is a whistleblower from the CDC who transferred
100 000 documents pertaining to vaccine induced autism which were withheld from public knowledge all in the name of corporate profits. Don’t think this is possible? Then why are GMO’s which are proven to cause cancer also legal? This topics are all related. It’s all in the name of multi-billion dollar industries protected by lobbyism and corrupt high government officials. In the name of all the planet’s children and future generations, please don’t just be hostile to new contradictory information. Do the research. Look up Dr Andrew Wakefield , Vaxxed – the documentary and how it is being suppressed.
Hi Caroline, thank you for sharing this information with us! I can totally see your side of things and have heard of the documentary you mentioned. I have done a ton of research as well and have chosen to vaccinate my children because I believe in them and what they can do to prevent the wide spread of potentially life-threatening diseases. In my family, years ago, the lives of several relatives, all children, were lost to the very illnesses we seek to protect our family from now. While I know that nothing is perfect and there are never any guarantees, I feel my family is better off thanks to vaccinations.
Suz
Let’s start a dialogue!
Vaccinations are a necessary pain in the ass. Poor babies.
LOL, good way to describe them 🙂
very important to have your kids immunized
Amen!
This can be a very controversial issue.
Yup, it sure can, but I think it is good to have that conversation. Unfortunately we are not all going to agree, but it is good to hear all sides.
Vaccinations are so important.
They sure are!
Thanks for the good information. I don’t live in Canada, I just wanted to see if it was basically the same rules we have in the States.
Thanks for reading Terry!
I believe that vaccinating children is a must. When my children were young there wasn’t a vaccination against Chicken Pox, nor when I was a child. I developed Shingles later on and with one bout of Shingles infected two of my teenage sons with Chicken Pox. I have never seen anyone look so bad and feel so ill with Chicken Pox as they did. Most of the usual child diseases are much, much worse later in life and not all kids catch them when they are young.
Elizabeth, the same thing happened to my husband when he was in his late 20’s. He caught it from a little girl and was in bed for three weeks! The doctor wanted to admit him to the hospital. There was a very good chance he could end up not being able to father children (thankfully the did not happen). It is extremely vital we vaccinate.
I was glad to read that in Ontario boys are now eligible for the HPV vaccine too. 🙂
Yes, me too. My son is a few years off, but I am glad to know he will be getting it too.