All children attending school in Ontario must be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella, unless there is a valid exemption. Nurses from the Ottawa Public Health Immunization Program collect and assess immunization information in accordance with the Immunization of School Pupils Act. Your child's complete immunization record must be provided to Ottawa Public Health Immunization Program. Please also remember to notify Ottawa Public Health Immunization Program every time your child receives a vaccination. For more information, please contact the Immunization Program at 613-580-6744 or by e-mail or visit their website.
Here are the ways you can update your child's immunization record:
New - There has been a change to the Ottawa Public Health requirements for those children who have lived or travelled outside Canada or in a First Nations/Inuit community in Canada for three months or longer during the past five years - you will no longer need to provide the school with a Certificate of Immunization and Tuberculosis Assessment for School Entry.
Ottawa Public Health no longer provides visual and auditory screening. Parents who notice their child having difficulty seeing or hearing should contact their health care provider. Ideally, the health care provider should perform vision and hearing check-ups at each visit, with special vision testing as soon as possible after a child's third birthday. Parents who are concerned about their child's communication development before the age of five years should contact the First Words Program through Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744, in addition to their health care provider.