An estimated 60,000 students in Grades 7 to 12 missed one or more routine vaccinations when York Region Public Health was forced to put immunization clinics on hold amid the pandemic to focus on COVID-19 vaccinations.
But appointments for vaccination against Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Meningococcal disease can now be booked online and will available through the summer.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, those vaccinations were typically offered in school-based clinics for Grade 7 students and at public health community clinics. Because those clinics were unavailable for the last two years, many York residents were unable to get the routine immunizations found on Ontario’s Routine Immunization Schedule, which could result in increased susceptibility to vaccine-preventable diseases and potential community spread of those diseases.
Visit york.ca/immunization-clinics to learn more. Stouffville Medical Centre is currently offering catch-up student immunization clinics for students in Grades 7 and up and for eligible individuals who missed getting vaccines offered at schools because of the pandemic. Visit Stouffville Medical Centre for more information and/or to book an appointment online.
