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Vaccination

Vaccinations, or immunizations, work by stimulating the immune system, the natural disease-fighting system of the body. They are recommended for children and adults alike to prevent diseases. Typically, adults should get a flu vaccination annually. Read more about adult vaccination below.

Your child’s first line of defence
A vaccine is a medicine that prevents disease by stimulating your body’s immune response. Many viruses and bacteria can enter your body and reproduce to dangerous levels before your immune system identifies them as foreign invaders and acts to kill them. By injecting weakened forms of the organism your immune system can be “taught” to counteract the disease without posing any risk to you of actually becoming ill.

There are a number of vaccinations that doctors routinely give children to protect against serious diseases. These diseases used to kill or cripple thousands of Canadians annually. Today, through routine vaccinations, we have been able to nearly eradicate many childhood diseases.

These vaccines are safe for almost all children. In some cases, where a child may have certain allergies, problems with their immune system, or seizures and neurological problems, there may be a reason not to vaccinate. Otherwise, vaccinations are an important part of protecting your child’s health. For more information or to discuss any concerns you have, you should contact your local public health authority or your child’s physician.

To view national vaccination recommendations and schedules for infants and children, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada’s page on immunization schedules.

Please note that scheduled immunization recommendations may differ by province or territory for both infants and children. Speak with your doctor to ensure that all vaccinations are received by your child at the most appropriate time.

Keep a record
Don’t assume that your doctor is keeping track of your child’s vaccinations and will contact you when one is due. You should have been given an immunization record in the hospital when your child was born, or by your doctor at one of the early checkups. Do keep it up to date and take it with you to your child’s doctor appointments. Mark your child’s next scheduled immunization on the calendar and call your doctor at that time to arrange for the shot.

Adult Immunization
Immunization does not stop at childhood. There are a number of vaccines that all adults over the age of 18 years should get. There are also other vaccines that need to be tailored to meet individual variations in risk resulting from occupation, travel to foreign countries, health condition or lifestyle.

Adult Immunization Schedule: Routinely for All

Vaccine	Dosing schedule (no record or unclear history of immunization)	Booster schedule (primary series completed)
Tetanus and diphtheria given as Td; and pertussis given as Tdap	Doses 1 and 2, 4–8 weeks apart and dose 3 at 6–12 months later; one of the doses should be given as Tdap for pertussis protection	Td every 10 years; 1 dose should be given as Tdap if not previously given in adulthood
Measles, mumps and rubella given as MMR	1 dose for adults born in or after 1970 without a history of measles or those individuals without evidence of immunity to rubella or mumps; second dose for selected groups	Not routinely required
Varicella	Doses 1 and 2, at least 4 weeks apart for susceptible adults (no history of natural disease or seronegativity)	Not currently recommended

Source: Public Health Agency of Canada

Please note that scheduled immunization recommendations may differ by province or territory for adults. Speak with your doctor to ensure that you receive all your vaccinations at the most appropriate time.

Flu shots
There are so many different kinds of influenza viruses that scientists are constantly working to track the many strains of the virus. This is because influenza has the ability to mutate rapidly, changing its DNA (its genetic information) and structure to thwart your body’s attempts to identify and destroy it. Fortunately our bodies are also adept at adapting to new challenges, but once you’ve been infected with influenza you may have several days of misery and lost time from work. Young children and the elderly can suffer severe complications from influenza, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.

Our public health system tries to keep up with influenza’s rapid changes by immunizing as many people as possible each year. Once your immune system has been “woken up” with the dead viruses in a flu shot, it will be much more effective at identifying and killing any live viruses that try to infect you. If you don’t become infected, you can’t infect others, and this limits the spread of the disease and its ability to mutate into new forms.

Read more about the flu shot

Many provincial medicare plans cover the flu shot. Check our flu vaccination guide to find out where to get yours.

Travel Immunization
Depending on where you plan to travel and your individual situation, there are many vaccinations available. Some countries require proof of immunization before granting a visa. Some diseases to be aware of are: Cholera, Meningococcal disease, Yellow fever, Hepatitis A & B, and Typhoid. You should also discuss the risks of exposure to Malaria prophylaxis. More on immunizations recommended for travel outside of Canada.

Research your destination thoroughly and well in advance to understand what vaccinations are available or required. Some vaccines need to be administered many weeks in advance of departure. Contact your physician or a local travel clinic.

Locate a Travel Health Clinic.

Some excellent resources for Travel Health and Vaccination are:

Travel Reports & Warnings
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

Advisories and International Reports
Public Health Agency of Canada

International Travel & Health Guide: 2012 Edition
World Health Organization

Travelers' Health (U.S. resource)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention