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Keep our children healthy and our childcare centres disease-free

Nathalie Roy Public Health Nurse- Immunization Program Coordinator

For the children:

Keeping our kids safe and healthy is our number one priority.  All children attending a childcare centre needs to be immunized according to Ontario’s Immunization Schedule and the Childcare and Early Years Act. Immunization protects children from many serious diseases that are easily spread in childcare centres and schools.

Kids attending childcare centres must have complete immunization appropriate to their age prior to admission to the childcare centre. A record of immunization must be kept as part of each child’s record within the facility.  Consult with your local health unit if there are any questions regarding a child’s immunization record.

For the staff

Healthy staff makes for a healthy, happy, well-run childcare centre. When hiring, ensure that prospective staff members meet immunization requirements, and file all relevant health information in their employee record Update staff health records on a regular basis.

Staff vaccine requirements:

  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine: one dose
  • Tetanus, Diphtheria (Td) vaccine: every 10 years
  • Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap) : one lifetime adult dose
  • Influenza/COVID-19: once a year

References: 

Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014

Published on: Jul. 16, 2024
Tanya Musgrave

Editor's Note:

** Remember to ask parents upon registration to your childcare centre to provide you with a copy of their child’s immunization record and keep it on file. The PHU will be completing childcare centre vaccine record review in July.