News release
October 20, 2022
Toronto Public Health’s (TPH) #VAXToClass campaign is off to a successful start. From September 26 to October 14, TPH provided life-saving school vaccines to 3,178 students through 86 school vaccination clinics. A total of 7,775 vaccine doses were administered, including: 2,761 meningococcal vaccines, 2,813 human papillomavirus vaccines, and 2,201 hepatitis B vaccines.
TPH plans to reach 44,000 7th and 8th grade students at 448 #VAXToClass school clinics. Parents and students in grades 7 and 8 can expect to receive information about clinic opportunities and consent forms directly from the schools.
Meningococcal vaccines (which prevent meningitis), human papillomavirus vaccines (which prevent cancers), and hepatitis B vaccines (which prevent liver disease and cancer) are commonly offered in schools to 7th and 8th grade students. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many students did not receive these vaccines.
#VAXToClass is helping students get up to speed on vaccines in their classrooms. Students who have started their catch-up series may take months to become fully vaccinated, as two or three doses may be required depending on the vaccine.
During the previous #VAXToClass campaign between September 2021 and August 2022, TPH vaccinated approximately 27,000 students in grades 7-12 with more than 57,000 doses of school vaccines at TPH catch-up clinics.
This summer, TPH identified serious cases of meningococcal C infection among young adults who were not vaccinated. These cases highlight the need to get vaccinated to protect yourself from the continued risk of infection.
In Ontario, the Immunization of School Pupils Act requires all students to be up-to-date with their meningococcal vaccine or have a valid exemption. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends the hepatitis B and human papillomavirus vaccines for adolescents.
In addition to the #VAXToClass campaign, 9th to 12th grade students who are behind on their vaccinations can receive them at one of the City Hall’s six fixed location immunization clinics. The health card is not necessary. Clinic appointments for school immunizations can be booked at www.TPHBookings.ca.
Children can also be vaccinated by their primary health care provider. Parents of school-age children in Toronto who are not vaccinated for TPH must provide their child’s vaccination information to TPH. Information on how to report children’s immunization information is available on the Student Immunization Report webpage.
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people, whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the most diverse and livable cities in the world. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a world leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and is consistently at the top of international rankings thanks to the investments promoted by its government, residents and companies For more information visit the City Council website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.