February 23, 2023
It’s National Kids and Vaccine Day today, and Alberta Health Services (AHS) is reminding Albertans with children to make sure their kids are up to date with routine immunizations.
Alberta offers all children routine immunizations, free of charge. By following the routine immunization schedule, your child will be immunized against diseases at important times during their growth and development. This means your child will get the maximum possible protection.
Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, are coming back in areas where not enough people are immunized. Globally, outbreaks of measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough) and other illnesses are being declared. Outbreaks of these illnesses have been declared in Alberta as well, which can lead to our neighbours, family members and friends becoming sick.
Over the course of the pandemic, routine immunizations may have been missed or delayed. It is important for children to receive any immunizations they may have missed. AHS Public Health clinics are open and ready to help children and youth catch up on any immunizations they need.
AHS provides free, routine immunization for infants, children and youth who live in Alberta at your local AHS Public Health Office or AHS Community Health Centre. AHS also offers routine immunizations in schools. Each year, AHS Public Health reviews immunization records for students in grades one, six and nine, to see which immunizations each student needs. A consent form is then sent home with an information sheet for each vaccine recommended for the student. No immunizations will be given in school without consent from a parent or legal guardian. If vaccine doses are delayed from the routine recommended schedule, they don’t have to be restarted, they are offered as soon as possible.
Visit immunizealberta.ca to learn more about routine immunizations or call 811 to book an appointment at an AHS immunization clinic. To find out which immunizations are right for your child, check with your family physician or Health Link at 811, public health nurse or visit myhealth.alberta.ca.
Immunization is safe and effective and protects our communities. The more people who are fully immunized in a community, the safer everyone is.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
