School Immunization Clinics

This October, the Brant County Health Unit will be visiting all local elementary schools offering publicly funded hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningitis (Men C-ACYW-135) vaccinations to Grade 7 students.

These vaccines greatly reduce the risk of your child getting sick with these diseases and, in the case of HPV, can prevent certain types of head and neck cancers. They are safe, effective, and recommended as part of Ontario's Routine Immunization Schedule. The meningitis vaccine is required by law for all children, Grade 7 and older, attending school in Ontario, unless otherwise exempted. This vaccine (Men-C-ACYW-135) is different than the meningitis vaccination routinely provided at one year of age – the Grade 7 vaccine provides additional protection. To ensure that individuals remain safe from vaccine preventable diseases and to maintain a high level of community protection, it is important that routine vaccinations are maintained despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines can prevent illnesses that can lead to hospitalization and significant complications in individuals. Vaccines can also prevent outbreaks, which can impact communities and particularly affect more vulnerable populations. 

For more information on each vaccine, please review the Fact Sheets tab below.

Grade 7 Students:

Please visit the following link to provide your consent for Brant County Health Unit to administer each vaccination no later than Friday, September 30th, 2022: 

www.bchu.org/SchoolVaccinationConsent.

Please note, when providing consent, you are consenting to the full vaccine series. The meningitis vaccine requires only one dose, while the hepatitis B and HPV vaccines require two doses – Brant County Health Unit will be returning to your child's school in May to provide the second dose.

Grade 8 Students:

The Brant County Health Unit recognizes some Grade 8 students may have missed these school vaccines in Grade 7. Your Grade 8 child may still receive these vaccines for free and can be included in this vaccination clinic if they have not yet received a first dose or are due or overdue for a second dose of any of the above vaccines.

Please note, if you previously provided consent to BCHU for your child to receive these vaccines during our school-based clinics last year or during a clinic at the health unit, this consent is still valid and would have been consent for the vaccine series. You are not required to provide consent again.

Please contact BCHU Vaccine Preventable Disease program at 519-753-4937 ext. 451 to speak to a nurse if:

• You have not previously provided consent but would like your child to receive these vaccines at the school clinic

• You are not sure if you previously provided consent for your child to receive these vaccines

• You previously provided consent for your child to receive these vaccines but would like to withdraw consent

• Your child received these vaccines at a family doctor's office (report at www.bchu.org/emunization)

• There has been any update in your child's health history since you provided consent

• Your child is not attending school in person, but you would like to schedule an appt at BCHU to receive the vaccines (Please note, you can also follow up with your child's family doctor to receive these vaccines)
  

If your child has received or is planning to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, please note the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has determined that COVID-19 vaccines may be administered at any time before, any time after, or at the same time as a non-COVID-19 vaccine(s). Please note BCHU will not be offering the COVID-19 vaccine during these clinics. To arrange a COVID-19 vaccine for your child, you may visit www.bchu.org/COVID19Vaccines.

To find out when we'll be at your child's school, please review the School Clinic Schedule tab below. Please also note, we will be requiring each child to wear a mask within the immunization clinic space. Masks can be provided by BCHU as needed.

If your child is not attending school in person, vaccinations can be received at the Brant County Health Unit by appointment. Please contact us at 519-753-4937 ext. 451 to schedule this visit. If you wish for your child to get vaccinated by a family doctor, please contact their office directly. 

For more information, you can contact the Vaccine Preventable Diseases team at 519-753-4937 ext. 451.