In Ontario, the local public health unit provides vaccinations for hepatitis B, meningococcal disease and human papillomavirus (HPV) to students in Grade 7. As of the 2014-15 school year meningococcal disease is a mandatory immunization under the Immunization of School Pupils Act. Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are recommended immunizations.
Prior to the 2016-17 school year, HPV vaccine was only offered to female students in Grade 8. From 2016-17 onwards, both male and female students in Grade 7 are offered this vaccine. For more information on the School Immunization Program in Simcoe Muskoka, please visit the health unit’s website.
Simcoe Muskoka
Technical Notes
Simcoe Muskoka
The figure below shows the percentage of Simcoe Muskoka students who received the complete series for the Grade 7 school program immunizations in the 2018-19 school year.
More than half of enrolled Grade 7 students are receiving the three vaccines offered through the school program. For the 2018-19 school year, coverage for HPV in Grade 7 students was 67.3% in Simcoe Muskoka. Coverage for hepatitis B in Grade 7 students was 73.9%, and 91.5% for meningococcal disease. The 2025 national target for coverage for each immunization (HPV, hepatitis B and meningococcal disease) is 90%.
Immunization coverage rates are higher in students attending schools in the Simcoe County when compared with the District of Muskoka:
- HPV immunization coverage in 2018/19 was 68.2% for Grade 7 students in Simcoe County and 60.2% for Grade 7 students in the District of Muskoka.
- Hepatitis B immunization coverage in 2018/19 was 74.4% for Grade 7 students in Simcoe County and 69.6% for Grade 7 students in the District of Muskoka.
- Meningococcal disease immunization coverage in 2018/19 was 91.9% for Grade 7 students in Simcoe County and 88.7% for Grade 7 students in the District of Muskoka.
Unvaccinated children are at risk of getting serious diseases so parents seeking information about exemptions should access reliable, evidence based sources such as:
Technical Notes
As explained on the Vaccine Coverage page, the health unit does not have accurate immunization information on all school children.
National immunization coverage targets are based on the National Immunization Strategy Vaccination Coverage Goals and are to be achieved by 2025.
Proof of immunization against meningococcal disease became a requirement in the 2014-15 school year.
In the 2016-17 school year, HPV was offered to male and female Grade 7 students and Grade 8 females, while meningococcal disease and hepatitis B were offered to both male and female Grade 7 students. From 2017-18 school year onwards, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease and HPV vaccines is offered to all Grade 7 students.