Skip Navigation

Vaccine Exemption for Children

Breadcrumbs
 

Parents or guardians may choose to exempt their children from vaccines for personal or medical reasons. Getting an exemption form is the legal process to exempt your child from getting vaccines.

Important information regarding Halton Public Health school programs

  • Children attending School
    Halton Region Public Health is continuing to work with the Ministry of Health on the enforcement of mandatory vaccines under the Immunization of Students and Pupils Act (ISPA). However, due to the unforeseen circumstances brought on by COVID-19, school suspensions under ISPA will not be enforced during the 2022/2023 school year. Vaccine education sessions are not available at this time, and therefore Halton Region Public Health is not currently accepting submissions for non-medical Immunization of Students and Pupils Act (ISPA) exemptions. Please check regularly for updates.
 

Children in Child Care

To help keep our children safe and healthy, before children can attend child care, parents/guardians must provide their child care provider with proof of immunization or exemption. Parents must submit these records to Halton Region Public Health AND to their child care provider. Your child’s family doctor does not report their immunizations.

According to Ontario’s Child Care and Early Years Act (2014) (external link), children who attend licensed child care must be immunized against the following diseases:

  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)
  • Pneumococcal disease
  • Rotavirus
  • Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles)
  • Varicella (chickenpox)
  • Meningococcal disease

Updating your immunization record

You can update your immunization record in various ways:

Online

Telephone, mail or fax

  • Telephone: Call 311
  • Mail: Halton Region Public Health
    1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, ON, L6M 3L1
  • Fax (secure): 905-465-3403

If your child has not received some (or all) of the required child care immunizations due to medical or non-medical reasons, you must provide one of the following to Halton Region Public Health:

The following commissioners are authorized to sign affidavits for non-medical exemptions (conscience or religious exemption).

Please note there may be a fee for this service.

  • Clerks, deputy clerks or treasurers of local municipalities;
  • Heads of municipal council, reeves or deputy reeves of towns, members of city council;
  • Administrative heads (building standards, welfare, assessment or planning);
  • Barristers and solicitors entitled to practice law in Ontario; and
  • Provincial judges or justices of the peace.

For the protection of your child and the child care community, please note that your child may be unable to attend child care in the event of an outbreak.

Note: Once your child enters school, a child care exemption will expire. You will need to complete an Immunization of School Pupil’s Act (ISPA) (external link) Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief form and complete an Immunization Education Session (currently on hold for the 2022-23 school year). More information is available on Halton’s School-Based Immunization webpage.

TOP