Friday, August 17, 2012
Oxford County Public Health and Emergency Services
New Online Tool Makes It Easier for Parents to Report Their Children’s Vaccinations for School
While most parents know that their children must be immunized to attend school, many people are unaware that they, and not their family doctor, are responsible for reporting their latest immunizations to Public Health.
To make reporting easier, Public Health has launched a secure online immunization tool at www.oxfordcounty.ca/childimmunization. The tool allows parents—or other adults who want to update their immunization record—to submit past vaccinations to Public Health where the information is kept as part of the individual’s permanent immunization record.
Immunization records are required by school-age children under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, as well as by licensed child care centres and also as a requirement to work in some professions.
Immunization helps protect people against serious and potentially life-threatening illness. In Ontario, children are eligible for free vaccinations for many communicable diseases, like polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, influenza (“flu”) and others.
In addition to the online reporting tool, immunizations can be reported to Public Health:
- By phone at 519-421-5533 or toll-free 1-800-755-0394, ext. 5533
- By fax at 519-539-6206
- By mail to or in person at Public Health, 410 Buller St, Woodstock, ON, N4S 4N2
For more information visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/health or talk to your health care professional. To learn more about Ontario’s free immunization program, visit www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/immunization.
Quotes:
“Vaccines are safe, effective, and your child’s best protection against many diseases. While we know the majority of children are receiving regular immunizations, we don’t always find out when they were immunized or which immunizations they received. The new online reporting tool will make it easier for us to update the records we hold for every child in Oxford County, and easier for busy families to share their immunization information with us in a convenient and secure way.”
- Joanne Andrews, Program Supervisor, Health Protection, Oxford County Public Health & Emergency Services
Media Contact:
Tommasina Conte
Communications Coordinator
519-539-9800 ext 3503
Mobile: 519-608-3003
tconte@oxfordcounty.ca
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