Doctors urge children to get vaccinated as schools reopen

With infectious diseases like measles and whooping cough on the rise in Canada and around the world, doctors say now is a great time for parents to protect their children and teens from vaccine-preventable diseases.

“This is the time of year when families start thinking about their back-to-school checklists, things like school supplies and healthy lunches,” Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said in an interview.

“Making sure kids have their routine vaccinations is also part of that checklist,” she said, noting that children will again be interacting in classrooms, potentially spreading the disease.

New Brunswick health officials announced Thursday that 141 cases of whooping cough have been reported so far this year, and the province “strongly urges” parents to check their children's vaccination status as the new school year approaches.

Tam said whooping cough, also known as Bordetella pertussis infection, can be very serious and life-threatening, especially in young children.

It can also have serious effects on healthy children, teens and adults, she said.

“We call this the 100-day cough,” Tam said. “It can lead to a significant amount of coughing for a very long period of time.”

Dr. Laura Sauve, incoming president of the Canadian Paediatric Society, said there may still be children who missed out on routine vaccinations because of disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Additionally, the pandemic has fueled misinformation spread on social media, which has increased vaccine hesitancy, she said.

“Families are asking more questions about vaccines than they used to,” said Sauve, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of British Columbia.

“We encourage people to talk to their doctors or trusted health care providers, because doctors and public health professionals are happy to answer people's questions one-on-one.”

Tam stressed that it's never too late to get vaccinated if you miss out, and said public health agencies and schools often run catch-up programs.

Here's a guide to help parents make sure their children and teens are up to date on vaccinations based on state and local immunization schedules.

Infants and young children

Before going to school, children must be vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumococcal disease and rotavirus.

From the age of 2 to 18 months, infants receive multiple doses of vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. (Haemophilus influenzae type B is a bacteria that can cause infections in young children.)

In many states and territories, the vaccine also protects against hepatitis B.

But in New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, babies receive a separate hepatitis B vaccine at birth and then two more doses over the next few months.

In most states and territories, babies also receive the measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (MMR-V) vaccine at 12 and 18 months of age.

In British Columbia and Yukon, infants receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 months of age and a separate chickenpox vaccine. In Ontario, infants receive the MMR vaccine at 12 months of age and the chickenpox vaccine at 15 months of age.

Infants also receive the meningococcal vaccine. This vaccine protects infants against strains of meningococcal bacteria. The vaccination is usually given at 12 months of age. In Quebec, the vaccination is given at 18 months of age. In British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, infants receive their first meningococcal vaccine at 2 months of age, then again at 12 months of age. In Alberta, infants receive their first dose at 4 months of age, then again at 12 months of age.

The pneumococcal vaccine is given in all provinces and in Yukon at 2, 4 and 12 months of age. In the Northwest Territories, it is given at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age. In Nunavut, the pneumococcal vaccine is given at 2, 4, 6, 15 months of age, and also at age 2 to 3 years.

In all provinces and territories, infants receive the rotavirus vaccine at two and four months of age. In Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the three territories, a booster dose is given at six months of age.

Kindergarten, nursery school, first grade

Between the ages of four and six, children receive vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and polio.

In British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Yukon, children ages four to six will receive repeat vaccinations against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

From 4th grade to secondary school

In Newfoundland and Labrador, children receive another dose of the meningococcal vaccine in grade four.

In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, children are vaccinated in Grade 6. In Ontario and Nova Scotia, it's Grade 7. In British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Nunavut, students are vaccinated in Grade 9.

In Quebec, the meningococcal vaccine is given in secondary school grade 3. In the Northwest Territories, children are vaccinated in grade 12.

In some states, school-age children are also scheduled to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine.

In Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, the vaccine is given in grade 6. In Ontario and Nova Scotia, the vaccine is given in grade 7. In other provinces and territories, the hepatitis B vaccine should already have been given in infancy. Children in Alberta may receive the hepatitis B vaccine in grade 6 as part of the vaccine catch-up program.

Children and teens also need booster vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. In Nunavut, the booster vaccination is given in grade 6. In New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories, the booster vaccination is given in grade 7. In Saskatchewan, the booster vaccination is given in grade 8, and in Manitoba, the booster vaccination is given in grades 8 and 9.

In British Columbia, Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon, children are vaccinated in Grade 9. In Ontario, they are vaccinated between ages 14 and 16. In Quebec, children receive a tetanus and diphtheria booster shot in their senior year of high school.

This is also the time to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV). The two-dose vaccine is offered to students in grade 6 in most provinces and territories; and grade 7 in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. In Quebec, the first HPV shot is given in grade 4 and the second in grade 3 of secondary school. In the Northwest Territories, two doses are given to children ages 9 to 14. The territory offers a three-dose HPV vaccine to teenagers who receive their first dose at age 15 or older.

In July, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization said one dose of the HPV vaccine may be sufficient for children and young people aged nine to 20, but it is up to states and territories to decide whether to switch to a one-dose regimen or maintain the current two-dose schedule.

University

Tam said before attending college and starting dorm life, students should get immunization records (if they have them) from their parents and make sure they are up to date.

And don't forget that a tetanus booster shot is needed every 10 years, doctors say.

Seasonal vaccinations

The start of school means we're heading into fall, and the start of respiratory virus season, Sauv and Tam said, so it's recommended that everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu shot and consider getting up to date on the COVID-19 vaccination.

There is currently no respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine available for school-age children in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2024.

Health care coverage from The Canadian Press is supported through its partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.