If you choose not to have your child immunized due to conscience or religious belief, you will be required to complete the following:
1. Attend an education session, by appointment only, at the health unit covers:
- Basic information about immunization
- Vaccine safety
- Immunization and community health
- Immunization law in Ontario
Once complete, you will be provided a Vaccine Education Certificate.
Call 519-753-4937 ext. 451 to book an appointment.
2. Complete a Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief Affidavitand get it signed by a commissioner for taking affidavits in Ontario. The Vaccine Education Certificate should also be brought to the commissioner to demonstrate the completion of the required education session as outlined on the affidavit.
Persons authorized to sign affidavits for exemptions include:
- clerk, deputy clerk, or treasurer of local municipality
- administrative head (building standards, welfare, assessment or planning)
- head of municipal council
- member of city council
- reeve or deputy reeve of town
- provincial judge or justice of the peace
- lawyer
3. Present your original signed Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief form and Vaccine Education Certificate to the Health Unit. It is your responsibility to keep these documents for future reference.
Unimmunized students are at increased risk of getting sick with and spreading vaccine preventable diseases. In the event of a disease outbreak, unprotected students will be excluded from school for the duration of the outbreak to help protect unimmunized children from getting or spreading the disease (see the Immunization Exemptions tab).