Island Health’s public health teams are helping families ensure that their children are up-to-date with important childhood immunizations, like measles and tetanus.
“Childhood vaccinations are very important,” said Medical Health Officer Dr. Michael Benusic. “We know that parents and caregivers want to protect their kids. We also know that the COVID-19 pandemic may have made it difficult for some families to stay up to date on immunizations for their kids.”
B.C.’s routine immunization schedule includes a series of vaccinations around age 4, timed to coincide with entry to kindergarten. Island Health’s public health teams are calling thousands of families whose children are about to enter school, or are already in kindergarten, to inform them about clinics and help them make appointments for kindergarten immunizations.
“We encourage families to make an appointment when they get a phone call from Island Health,” said Benusic. “It’s one less thing to do when it’s time to get ready for back to school.”
- Visit https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-locations/health-unit-locations to find a health unit near you.
- Find your child’s vaccination status by visiting https://immunizebc.ca/vaccination-status-indicator or by calling your local Public Health Unit.
- Visit www.immunizebc.ca to learn more about B.C.’s routine vaccine schedule for infants and children, including the illnesses targeted by kindergarten vaccinations.