“Vaccines prevent serious illnesses — including many that are easily spread in schools and daycare centres. For more than 200 years, vaccines have been saving lives around the world” (Ministry of Health, 2023).
Vaccines have been administered to young children for many generations, preventing serious illness and disease in children and their families in Canada and around the world. Some families may choose not to vaccinate their child for medical, philosophical, or religious reasons. These practices were present amongst families prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic but during the recent pandemic a lot of misinformation was shared about Covid-19 vaccines through social media channels. This resulted in public health developing additional messaging to support families in understanding the value of vaccinations for their young children.
Educators support families in accessing sound resources to ensure families are making the most informed decisions for their children. Families are diverse, with different worldviews coming together in learning spaces for young children. Educators must be knowledgeable about the legislation around immunizations and potential exemptions from immunizations for children. “As such, vaccine hesitancy is a multifaceted phenomenon influenced by various social, cultural, and political contexts; vaccine hesitant people are a heterogenous group in that they may refuse some vaccines, but agree to others; for this reason, vaccine uptake is not directly related to vaccine hesitancy and it can vary by specific vaccines involved” (Lee, et al., 2022). It is essential that educators become familiar with resources available through their local public health units. These resources can be readily shared with families when they have questions about immunizations or other health related matters.
Please watch the following video:
Video: Tara’s Story: Getting Vaccinated Can Help Keep You and Your Family Safe by ONgov [0:52].Transcript available on YouTube.
35. (1) Every licensee shall ensure that before a child who is not in attendance at a school or private school, within the meaning of the Education Act, is admitted to a child care centre it operates or to a premises where it oversees the provision of home child care, and from time to time thereafter, the child is immunized as directed by the local medical officer of health. O. Reg. 137/15, s. 35 (1); O. Reg. 126/16, s. 24 (1); O. Reg. 254/19, s. 8 (1).
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply where a parent of the child objects to the immunization on the ground that the immunization conflicts with the sincerely held convictions of the parent’s religion or conscience or a legally qualified medical practitioner gives medical reasons to the licensee as to why the child should not be immunized. O. Reg. 137/15, s. 35 (2); O. Reg. 126/16, s. 24 (2).
(3) Objections and medical reasons under subsection (2) shall be submitted in a form approved by the Minister. O. Reg. 126/16, s. 24.
(Ontario Regulation 137/15, under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. © King’s Printer for Ontario, 2015)
Immunization records are requested by licensed child care operators during the enrollment process. Any licensed agency, including licensed home child care, will need to ensure a copy of each child’s immunization records are kept on file to be reviewed by public health or the Ministry of Education. Families are expected to keep immunization records up to date with their child care providers and their local public health units. If these dates are not maintained, families will be notified of missing immunization records. In some cases, children may be excluded from child care or suspended from school due to unreported vaccines or exemptions.
Families and health care practitioners are guided by the Ontario publicly funded vaccine schedule for the appropriate timing for each vaccine. The vaccine schedule will be discussed with health care practitioners during a child’s ongoing health care visits. The following vaccines are required for enrollment in a licensed child care centre or licensed home child care:
- Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio;
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella;
- Haemophilus Influenza Type B (HiB);
Review the following:
- Routine Publicly Funded Vaccine Schedule for Healthy Children from the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit. A PDF/Printer Friendly Version is also available.
Read the following resource for families regarding immunizations for young children:
- Immunization – Babies and Preschool Children from Middlesex-London Health Unit
Some children may be exempt from vaccines for medical reasons or for their family’s philosophical or religious beliefs. In non-medical circumstances the family must complete an affidavit upon enrollment with a copy kept on file at the child’s licensed child care or at the child’s school. Vaccine exemptions for medical reasons require the family to provide their child care provider with a doctor’s or nurse practitioner’s completed statement of medical exemption form. A copy of this must be kept in the child’s file at child care.
Read the following resource to understand more about immunization record maintenance and the process for vaccine exemptions:
- Immunization Record Review from Middlesex-London Health Unit
<unk> Chanjo huzuia magonjwa mazito <unk> ikiwa ni pamoja na mengi ambayo huenea kwa urahisi katika shule na vituo vya utunzaji wa siku. Kwa zaidi ya miaka 200, chanjo zimekuwa kuokoa maisha duniani kote. Chanjo zimetumiwa kwa watoto wadogo kwa vizazi vingi, kuzuia magonjwa makubwa na magonjwa kwa watoto na familia zao nchini Canada na ulimwenguni kote. Familia fulani zaweza kuamua kutomchanja mtoto wao kwa sababu za kitiba, za kifalsafa, au za kidini. Mazoea haya yalikuwapo miongoni mwa familia kabla ya kuanza kwa janga la COVID-19, lakini wakati wa janga la hivi karibuni habari nyingi zisizo za kweli zilitolewa kuhusu chanjo za COVID-19 kupitia njia za media ya kijamii. Hii ilisababisha afya ya umma kuendeleza ujumbe wa ziada kusaidia familia kuelewa thamani ya chanjo kwa watoto wao wadogo. Walimu huunga mkono familia katika kupata rasilimali sahihi ili kuhakikisha familia zinafanya maamuzi ya ufahamu zaidi kwa watoto wao. Familia ni tofauti, na maoni tofauti ya ulimwengu yanakusanyika katika nafasi za kujifunza kwa watoto wadogo. Walimu lazima wawe na ujuzi kuhusu sheria zinazohusiana na chanjo na msamaha wa uwezekano wa chanjo kwa watoto. "Kama vile, kusita kwa chanjo ni jambo lenye nyuso nyingi linaloathiriwa na muktadha mbalimbali wa kijamii, kitamaduni, na kisiasa; watu wanaosita chanjo ni kikundi cha tofauti kwa kuwa wanaweza kukataa chanjo fulani, lakini kukubali zingine; kwa sababu hii, upatikanaji wa chanjo hauhusiani moja kwa moja na kusita kwa chanjo husika "" (Lee, et al., 2022)." Ni muhimu kwamba walimu wawe na ufahamu wa rasilimali zinazopatikana kupitia vitengo vyao vya afya ya umma. Rasilimali hizi zinaweza kugawanywa kwa urahisi na familia wakati wana maswali kuhusu chanjo au masuala mengine yanayohusiana na afya. "Tazama video hii: ""Mwanamke wa TARA: Kupokea chanjo inaweza kukusaidia kukuweka wewe na familia yako salama"" na ONGOV (Transcript inapatikana kwenye YouTube)." 35. - (Methali 25:5, 6) Kwa nini? (1) Kila leseni lazima kuhakikisha kwamba kabla ya mtoto ambaye si kuhudhuria shule au shule binafsi, ndani ya maana ya Sheria ya Elimu, ni kukubaliwa katika kituo cha utunzaji wa watoto yeye anaendesha au katika majengo ambapo yeye inasimamia utunzaji wa watoto nyumbani, na mara kwa mara baada ya hapo, mtoto ni immunized kama ilivyoelekezwa na afisa wa afya ya eneo. O. Reg. 137.15 (a) (b) (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (e) (e) (e) (e) (e) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) (f) ( (Kutoka 126:16, s. 24 (1); O. Reg. 254 (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (k) (2) Kifungu cha (1) haitumiki wakati mzazi wa mtoto anapopinga chanjo kwa sababu chanjo inapingana na imani ya dhati ya dini au dhamiri ya mzazi au daktari aliyehitimu kisheria anatoa sababu za matibabu kwa leseni ya mtoto kwa nini mtoto haipaswi chanjo. O. Reg. 137.15 (b) (a) (b) (b) (c) (d) (e) (e) (e) (f) (f) (f) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (g) (h) (g) (h) (g) (h) (g) (h) (g) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (h) (Kutoka 126:16, 24-23) (3) Mapingamizi na sababu za matibabu chini ya kifungu cha (2) lazima zifikishwe katika fomu iliyokubaliwa na Waziri. O. Reg. (Kutoka 126:16, 24) Sheria ya Ontario ya 1375 ya Mwaka wa 2014 ya Utunzaji wa Watoto na Miaka ya Mapema King's Printer kwa Ontario, © 2015) Rekodi za chanjo zinaombwa na waendeshaji wa utunzaji wa watoto wenye leseni wakati wa mchakato wa uandikishaji. Wakala wowote wenye leseni, ikiwa ni pamoja na huduma ya watoto wa nyumbani yenye leseni, itahakikisha nakala ya rekodi za chanjo za kila mtoto huhifadhiwa kwenye faili ili ichunguzwe na afya ya umma au Wizara ya Elimu. Familia zinatarajiwa kuweka rekodi za chanjo hadi sasa na watoa huduma za utunzaji wa watoto na vitengo vyao vya afya ya umma. Ikiwa tarehe hizi hazitashikiliwa, familia zitaarifiwa juu ya rekodi za chanjo zinazokosekana. Katika baadhi ya kesi, watoto wanaweza kutengwa na utunzaji wa watoto au kusimamishwa kutoka shule kwa sababu ya chanjo au msamaha usiotajwa. Familia na wataalamu wa huduma za afya huongozwa na ratiba ya chanjo ya Ontario inayofadhiliwa na umma kwa wakati unaofaa kwa kila chanjo. Ratiba ya chanjo itajadiliwa na watendaji wa huduma za afya wakati wa ziara za matibabu za mtoto. Vyakula vya chini vinahitajika kwa ajili ya uandikishaji katika kituo cha huduma ya watoto kilicho na leseni au huduma ya watoto nyumbani iliyo na leseni: - Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio; - measles, mumps, rubella; - Haemophilus influenza aina ya B (HiB); - Tathmini yafuatayo: - Ratiba ya kawaida ya chanjo ya umma kwa watoto wenye afya kutoka Kitengo cha Afya cha Haldimand-Norfolk. Toleo la PDF/Printer Friendly pia linapatikana. Kwa mujibu wa taarifa ya shirika la afya la WHO, watoto wa umri wa kati wa miaka 12 hadi 18 wanaopaswa kupewa chanjo ya ugonjwa wa kisukari katika kituo cha afya cha Middlesex-London, wanaweza kuachwa bila chanjo kwa sababu za kitiba au kwa sababu za imani za kifalsafa au kidini za familia yao. Katika hali zisizo za matibabu, familia lazima ikamilishe taarifa ya kiapo wakati wa kujiandikisha na nakala iliyohifadhiwa kwenye faili katika huduma ya watoto yenye leseni ya mtoto au katika shule ya mtoto. Msaada wa chanjo kwa sababu za matibabu inahitaji familia kutoa mtoa huduma wa utunzaji wa mtoto wao na daktari au muuguzi mtaalamu amejaza taarifa ya fomu ya msamaha wa matibabu. Nakala ya hati hiyo lazima ihifadhiwe katika faili ya mtoto katika kituo cha utunzaji wa watoto. "Kama unavyoona, kuna njia kadhaa za kuepuka kuambukizwa kwa kutumia dawa za kulevya, kama vile ""Middle-Sex-London Health Unit"" (MLSU)."