Kickstart Your Family’s Healthy Routine With Up-To-Date Vaccinations

S’mores and hotdogs roasted on the campfire, popcorn at the movies, late bedtimes and even later mornings. A familiar feeling? If so, you’re definitely not alone.

The summer vacation can turn the most health-conscious of families into junk-food addicts and sleepyheads, and even with all that good, clean air and outdoor playtime, by the time September rolls around it’s pretty hard to get back into that regular routine.

But it’s important to remember that staying healthy means getting regular and up-to-date vaccinations.

In order to attend school in Ontario, children must be immunized against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox (for children born on or after January 2010), meningococcal disease and whooping cough, unless they have a valid exemption. So vaccinations should be as much a part of your child’s Back-to-School checklist as new backpacks, pencil cases and shoes!

It’s important to get vaccinated to protect against outbreaks of diseases in communities. By choosing to have your child immunized, you’re ensuring that they’re protected against diseases, as well as protecting vulnerable kids who cannot be immunized for medical reasons.

Your child being nervous of vaccinations or doctor’s visits shouldn’t be a factor for opting against immunization. And by teaching them that regular vaccination is as important to your family’s healthy lifestyle as physical activity and eating, you’ll create a habit that lasts a lifetime in your children. Ontario.ca/vaccines has some great tips on how you can help to make vaccine visits easier and less stressful for your child.

If you’re unsure when you should be getting your child immunized, the easiest way to keep track is to stick to the vaccination schedule on Ontario.ca/vaccines.

Most vaccines need multiple doses to provide full protection—and between dance class, hockey practice, and homework, it’s understandable that you might lose track. But parents of young kids will find a super helpful immunization scheduler online, making it easier than ever to stay on top of their kid’s doctor’s appointments.

In addition to all the vaccines recommended in infancy and early childhood, check out this handy table below for a rough guide of recommended vaccines for school-age children:

Don’t forget to book your next appointment and to inform your local public health unit each time your child is immunized!

For more information, visit Ontario.ca/vaccines.

This post has been brought to you by the Government of Ontario but the opinions are our own.