Fraser Health: Routine immunizations for school-age children

Dear families,

Please see the communication below from Fraser Health regarding routine immunizations for school-age children.

Communication from Fraser Health

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Re: B.C.’s Vaccination Status Reporting Regulation for Students

B.C.’s Vaccination Status Reporting Regulation for children has been in effect since July 2019. This regulation supports the gathering of immunization records by Fraser Health for all students in all schools across the region within the province’s jurisdiction and to offer immunizations in school settings.

We care about keeping our schools and communities healthy. As a result, in the coming months our staff will check the immunization records we have on file for children in kindergarten. They will identify children whose records are missing or incomplete. Families of these children may be contacted.

For students in grades 6, 7, 9 and 10 – this school year Fraser Health will offer immunizations in the school setting to Grade 6 and 9 students from the last school year (20/21) and Grade 6 and 9 students from this school year (21/22).

Our staff will follow COVID-19 safety processes when delivering immunizations and interacting with school staff and students. Prior to immunization, students will be sent home with a personalized consent form for immunization. Please review your child’s immunization history on the consent form and if you have additional immunization records please submit them to public health at fraserhealth.ca/immunizationform.

For students in all other grades (includes grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11 and 12) – please check your child’s immunization records and provide us with any missing immunization information required under the regulation, with the following guidance:

• You can use the online Vaccination Status Indicator Tool at https://immunizebc.ca/vaccination-status-indicator to check if your child’s immunization record is incomplete or missing. The Indicator tells you if your child’s immunization record is on file with public health but does not provide any details about their immunization status or history. Health authority public health units already have immunization information on file for most children.
  • If the Vaccine Status Indicator shows that your child’s immunization records are up-to-date, then you do not need to take further action.
  • If the Vaccine Status Indicator shows that your child’s immunization records are pending, no action is required at this time. These records are in the process of being inputted into the system and may take some time to be entered.
  • If the Vaccine Status Indicator shows that your child’s immunization records are incomplete, this means either public health does not have your child’s records or your child needs additional immunizations. If your child has been immunized by a health care provider outside of public health, particularly in the last 18 months, you need to contact those providers and ask for a copy of your child’s immunization record. Please follow the instructions below to submit these records to public health.
    
• To report your child’s immunization record you can submit it online at fraserhealth.ca/immunizationform or fax the record to your local public health unit. Be sure the record you are submitting has your child’s full name, date of birth, sex, and personal health number (PHN) if the PHN is available. Records can also be provided to a community health nurse in a First Nations community.
• If your child needs additional immunizations, please call your family doctor, a pharmacist or public health to book an appointment.

• Visit fraserhealth.ca/getimmunized for a list of community vaccine providers.
• To book an appointment with public health, call:
  • 604-702-4906 (residents of Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope)
  • 604-476-7087 (residents in all other areas of Fraser Health)

Collecting immunization information allows us to connect with families about the importance of disease prevention. It also helps public heath to control outbreaks by quickly identifying children who are not fully immunized and helps everyone get back to learning as soon as possible.

For more immunization information, please visit our website at Fraserhealth.ca and search “child immunizations reporting”.

Thank you for helping to keep our children and communities healthy.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ariella Zbar, MD, CCFP, MPH, MBA, FRCPC
Medical Health Officer, Medical Director