Your HealthImmunizations

Do Vaccines Work?

Yes! Vaccines are so effective that most diseases they prevent are now extremely rare. Did you know that Canada was one of the first countries to eradicate polio by vaccinating against it? When the majority of people in a community are immunized against a disease, it greatly decreases the risk of that illness spreading in that community. Without immunizations there would be serious outbreaks of many diseases that we are now protected against.

In Canada, all vaccines are tested before they are given to the public. Vaccines, like medicine, must go through a series of steps before they are approved for use by Health Canada. Through research and testing, vaccines must be shown to be safe and effective in preventing the disease it targets. In Canada, vaccines are among the most strictly regulated medical products.

The Immunization Toolkit, Canadian Pediatric Society, and the Canadian Immunization Guide are great resources for parents and healthcare professionals who wish to learn more about vaccines in Ontario.

Vaccine Side Effects

After getting a vaccine it is common to have some temporary mild side effects. This can happen because vaccines activate your immune system and your body is working hard to build immunity!

Normal side effects include:

A sore arm
Redness and swelling at the injection spot
Headache
Tiredness
Low grade fever
Chills
Muscle aches
Children may be more fussy than usual after a vaccine

While serious side effects are very rare, if you or child are experiencing any unusual symptoms after a vaccination, contact us to report your symptoms. We are required to report unwanted or unexpected health events that happen after someone gets a vaccine to Public Health Ontario. These are known as an Adverse Event after Immunization (AEFI). This information is important to monitor vaccine safety.

Vaccine Records

It is very important to keep a record of your vaccinations. You may need to show a vaccine record to travel to some countries, to work or volunteer in some jobs. Children need vaccine records to register for school, childcare, and other children’s programs.

In Ontario, most immunization records come in the form of a yellow card completed by your health care provider. Healthcare providers, childcare facilities and schools do not send vaccine records to public health. In Chatham-Kent, vaccine records need to be updated by the client or their parent with CK Public Health.

You can update your immunization record with CK Public Health in a few ways:

Visit ICON using your Ontario health card and update the online record.
Contact us and speak with a public health nurse who can update your record over the phone.
Fax a copy of your vaccine record to CK Public Health at 519-436-3214
Visit us with your vaccine record at 435 Grand Ave West, Chatham

Most healthcare providers can provide clients with a copy of their record. If you do not have a healthcare provider, we may be able to access your record through the Ontario system.

You can access your vaccine record in a couple ways:

View and print a copy of your immunization record via ICON. You will need your heath card number to access your record.
Call us for a printed copy of your record for pick-up.

Please note that it is your responsibility to update your immunization record with Public Health. We may not have the most up to date information if you have not reported all of your vaccinations.

If you, your healthcare provider, or CK Public Health do not have a copy of your immunization history, you could be missing some vaccinations and may need to get revaccinated to be sure you are protected against illness.

It is safe to be vaccinated even if a vaccine has already been received in the past. In some cases, your healthcare provider can send you for blood tests to determine immunity for certain diseases.

Please contact us for advice and next steps if you are unable to access your vaccine history.

Ontario Vaccine Schedule

In Ontario, Public Health units and healthcare providers follow the Ontario Immunization Schedule. Some vaccines in the Ontario schedule are required for school and childcare enrollment, while others are recommended for extra protection, but are optional. Call us for more information, or to discuss Immunization Through the Lifespan.

How Do I Know What Vaccines I Need?

It is important to stay on schedule for your vaccinations. If you aren’t sure if you are up to date, call your healthcare provider or contact us. We can review your vaccine record and let you know if any vaccines have been missed and get you caught up on any missing vaccines.

Your HealthImmunizations

Do Vaccines Work?

Vaccine Side Effects

Vaccine Records

Ontario Vaccine Schedule

How Do I Know What Vaccines I Need?

Immunizations

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