BC Government News (09/02/19):
While parents and guardians are making preparations to ensure their kids have another successful year at school with pens, books and binders, they are reminded to keep in mind the importance of immunization for their children.
Following this year’s
global measles outbreak, the Province took immediate action to increase immunizations
and collect immunization records. Through increased immunizations and combined
record reconciliation, the number of children now recorded as fully immunized
against measles has risen by 37,525.
“The next vital step
is implementing the mandatory reporting of the immunization status of
school-aged students,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Through
this new requirement, we are making sure that our public health system is
better prepared in the event of another outbreak in schools.”
Most parents are already
in compliance with this requirement. To check whether your child's immunization registry record CLICK HERE.
Parents can also take a
proactive approach and contact their child's immunization service
provider. In addition to public health and school clinics, parents can get
their children immunized through their primary care providers or community
pharmacists.
“I am so proud of our
response to the measles outbreak. I would like to thank parents, educators and
public health professionals for rallying in response to prevent the spread
of measles,” said Dix.
“Our work continues.
Beginning in fall 2019, all public, independent and home-schooled students from
kindergarten to Grade 12 who are enrolled in B.C. schools in 2019-20
will be expected to have their current immunization status recorded
in B.C.’s provincial immunization registry.”
The new mandatory
immunization reporting requirement increases the ability of public health to
respond during an outbreak by quickly identifying those who are under-and
non-immunized. It also encourages parents to ensure their child’s immunizations
are up to date.
The Province initially
launched an immunization catch-up program, which ran from April to June 2019,
to help ensure that school-aged children are protected against measles. Health
authorities held 1,053 in-school clinics, as well as 3,584 public health clinics,
in communities throughout B.C. from April 1 to June 30.
During the catch-up
program, 590,748 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 had their immunization
records reviewed. Parents and guardians of children who had missing or
incomplete records were notified as well.
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