MEMO: Record Review for ISPA Required Vaccines – Elementary Schools

TO: Health Care Providers Who Administer Vaccines to School Age Children

FROM: Niagara Region Public Health, Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Program

REFERENCE: Record Review for ISPA Required Vaccines – Elementary Schools

DATE: January 3, 2023

Due to pandemic-related disruptions, many students missed vaccinations for serious vaccine preventable diseases. In the Niagara region, the current vaccination coverage rate for students in JK – Grade 12 is very low when compared to the national goals of 90% or 95% (to achieve by 2025):

Diphtheria: 63%
Measles: 78%
Meningococcal: 78%
Mumps: 78%
Pertussis: 63%
Polio: 76%
Rubella: 86%*
Tetanus: 63%
Varicella: 66%

* Vaccination coverage rate for rubella is higher because only a single dose is recommended for rubella protection.

As part of the ongoing work of protecting students from vaccine preventable diseases, Niagara Region Public Health (NRPH) has resumed reviewing school immunization records.

Upcoming communication with parents/legal guardians

This winter, NRPH will be mailing individualized Immunization Notices to parents/legal guardians of elementary school students. This will include a copy of the immunization record Public Health currently has on file for them. Please anticipate an influx of calls to your office from parents/legal guardians seeking immunizations for their child/children. We are asking individuals to bring both the immunization record and the notice to their health care provider appointment.

These Immunization Notices will be mailed out in batches:

In early January, notices will be sent to parents/legal guardians of students attending the District School Board of Niagara’s elementary schools
- Parents/legal guardians of students will be asked to submit their child’s updated records to Public Health by Jan. 31
In early February, notices will be sent to parents/legal guardians of elementary students attending the Niagara Catholic District School Board, private schools and French schools
- Parents/legal guardians of students will be asked to submit their child’s updated records to Public Health by Feb. 28
Any vaccines administered after the due date should be reported as soon as possible

Health care provider action

Have appointments available to help students catch-up on missed vaccines
- Remind parents to bring the notice and the Public Health provided copy of the immunization record to the appointment
Check immunization status when you are seeing a patient for any reason and offer vaccine if needed
Ensure your office has enough vaccine to accommodate this potential demand
- Use the General Vaccine Order Form for ISPA required vaccines
- Use the School Program Vaccine Order Form for Grade 7 vaccines
After administering vaccine, remind patients to report their immunization(s) to Public Health
- Provide immunization information so they can accurately report to Public Health
Ensure your practice has resources to provide patients
- Please dispose all outdated resources from the VPD program. New after care sheet, vaccine notification tear-off pad and reporting vaccinations poster can be ordered from our website.

What Public Health is doing

To complement immunization efforts in your office, NRPH is:

Working with all school boards to run catch-up clinics in schools for ISPA vaccines
Offering catch-up clinics in the community for all routine vaccines (including Grade 7 vaccines)
- At NRPH vaccination clinics, vaccinations received are added to the provincial immunization repository (Panorama). Parents/legal guardians are instructed to report vaccinations received to their health care provider.

More information

Memo: Record Review for ISPA Required Vaccines Resumes
Contact the VPD program at 1-888-505-6074 or 905-688-8248 ext. 7396
Our website has been updated to answer questions for parents/legal guardians