Vaccines & Immunizations
School Vaccine Clinics
Contact Us
Vaccine Appointments Booking, Hamilton Public Health Services
Phone 905-974-9848
Vaccine Records, Hamilton Public Health Services
Phone 905-540-5250
Vaccine Program Nurse Infoline, Hamilton Public Health Services
Phone 905-546-2424 ext 7556
School Vaccination Consent Form
Grade 7 students receive a School Vaccination Consent form and fact sheet at school. Parents should complete the form before the clinic day at your child’s school. Consent forms must be returned to the school before the clinic.
Nurses from Hamilton Public Health Services will be visiting your child’s school to offer free vaccinations for students in grade 7 and 8. Public Health Nurses will also be visiting High Schools in January-March of 2023 to offer catch-up vaccinations for those that may have missed their Hepatitis B, HPV or Meningococcal vaccines in grade 7 and 8.
Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines go through years of testing before they become publicly available. Vaccines are carefully monitored from the time they are created to after the vaccine is given. It is safe to give multiple vaccines at one time and studies have shown there is no increase in side effects. It is worse to get the disease than the vaccine. If a vaccine in considered unsafe, the vaccine is then pulled from the market1.
What are the side effects of vaccines?
The most common side effects are tiredness, pain, redness and swelling where the vaccine was given2. Serious reactions to vaccines are very rare. When they do occur, they are reported to Public Health and tracked by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Are vaccines free?
The Hepatitis B vaccine is free of charge for all students up to grade 8. However, until August 31, 2023, it will be free to all students up to grade 12. This will allow any student who may have missed their school vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic have the opportunity to receive it. If you decide to wait to vaccinate your child with HPV, the total cost of the vaccine is about $450. The vaccines are not free at your doctor’s office without a valid medical reason. This does not include anxiety over needles
What happens if my child is absent on the day the school is offering vaccines?
If you child is not able to attend school on the day that the nurses from Public Health are there to administer the vaccines, there are other options. Public Health visits each school 2 times per school year; once in the Fall and once in the Spring. If your child has missed the first day the vaccines were offered at their school, they can receive them the next time. If your child misses all of the times the vaccines are offered, they can receive them from their Family Doctor, or visit one of our Public Health community clinics to get caught up.
How can I prepare my child?
- Talk to your child about the vaccine(s)
- Review helpful ways to deal with fear or anxiety (look away, listen to music, watch a video etc.)
- Make sure your child eats on clinic day
- Make sure your child wears a short sleeve shirt on clinic day
What if I decide not to vaccinate?
The Men-C-ACYW135 vaccine is required by law (Immunization of School Pupils Act, 1990). If your child does not receive the vaccine, and does not have a valid exemption, they could be suspended11. The Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are not required by law (Immunization of School Pupils Act, 1990) but are highly recommended11.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding vaccines, please call Public Health Services to speak to a nurse at 905-546-2424 ext. 7556
1 National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Canadian Immunization Guide (Evergreen Edition). Part 2 Vaccine Safety. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada; 2016.
2 National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Canadian Immunization Guide (Evergreen Edition). Part 4 Active Vaccines: Meningococcal Vaccine. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada; 2016.
11 Immunization of School Pupils Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.1. (Online). Toronto: Government of Ontario; 2019.
School Vaccination
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Students can still catch-up on the second doses of both Hepatitis B and HPV. The second dose is recommended to be given a minimum of six months after the first dose, however having a longer than recommended interval between vaccine doses will still provide the same immunity. No students will need to start their vaccine doses over.
These vaccines will be provided at the catch-up clinics:
- Meningitis Vaccine Vaccine name: Men-C-ACYW135; Vaccine Brand: Nimenrix® One dose of Meningococcal ACYW135 is required in grade 7 and is available for free until the child has graduated grade 12. This Meningitis vaccine is the adult version of the one your child received at 12 months of age.
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: Vaccine name: HPV-9; Vaccine Brand: Gardasil®-9. Two doses of HPV9 are recommended in grade 7 and are available for free until the child has graduated grade 12. If the child begins the HPV9 series at age 15, the series becomes a 3 doses series.
- Hepatitis B Vaccine: Vaccine name: Hepatitis B; Vaccine Brand: Engerix®-B/ Recombivax-HB®. Two doses of Hepatitis B are recommended in grade 7 and are free. However, until August 31, 2023, it will be free to all students up to grade 12. This will allow any student who may have missed their school vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic have the opportunity to receive it. For students in grade 10 or above, 3 doses are required.
All grade 7, 8, 9 or 10 students eligible for Meningitis, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Hepatitis B vaccines can attend the vaccine clinic.
All grade 12 students who have received a letter indicating that they are overdue for vaccines (eg.Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) can book an appointment for catch-up with Public Health at 905-974-9848 or can go to their family physician to receive the vaccine. For vaccines received through your family doctor, please report vaccination to Public Health at 905-540-5250
Yes, you will need to book an appointment to receive your vaccines.
You can book an appointment online (for HPV, Hepatitis B or Meningitis vaccine) or by phone at 905-974-9848 (for all vaccines).
If you are unable to attend the scheduled vaccine catch-up clinics, you may be able to receive the vaccines through your family doctor.
No. Consent forms will not be completed ahead of time. Consent will be obtained onsite at the catch-up clinics.
Yes, many health care providers can provide Hepatitis B, HPV and Meningococcal ACYW-135 vaccines. They are provincially funded and free of charge, however, these vaccines will have to be ordered for your child, so please contact your health care provider if you are interested in this option. If the vaccines were received through your family doctor, it is very important that these are reported to public health.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has concluded that those age 12+ can get other vaccines at the same time as the COIVD-19 vaccine. You do not need to wait a certain number of days before or after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to get another vaccine.
Only students in Grade 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be eligible to receive Meningitis, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Hepatitis B vaccines at the catch-up clinics.
Only individuals that have received a letter from public health indicating that they are overdue for Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis can receive this vaccine.
If your other children need vaccines, please contact your health care provider. If you don’t have a doctor, you can find one through needadoc.ca
If you are unsure if your child has received Hepatitis B, Meningococcal or HPV vaccinations, contact your health care provider and/or check online. Vaccinations that were not administered at a public health clinic and not reported to public health will not show on the record.
It is very important that you report any vaccines received to public health. If your doctor or health care provider administered the vaccine, please report the vaccines received online.
If an individual received their first dose at their family doctors or health care providers office and would like a second dose, they can receive a second dose at this vaccine clinic. However, they must update their records online or bring proof of vaccine with them to their appointment.
Hamilton Public Health is continuing to work with Ministry of Health related to the enforcement of mandatory vaccines under the Immunization of Students and Pupils Act (ISPA). There has been no decision yet regarding changes to enforcement of ISPA, however any updates will be communicated to schools and families.
Date modified
June 08, 2023