Immunization Requirements for Licensed Child Care Centres

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and Licensed Child Care Centres Partnership

Immunizations protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases that can be very serious or even fatal.Due to their age and that they are in group settings, children in child care centres are especially at risk of getting sick and spreading infection. Receiving recommended immunizations and keeping immunization records up-to-date are important ways to help keep our community healthy and prevent outbreaks.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is committed to working with all licensed child care centres in Windsor and Essex County (WEC) to ensure that attendees are appropriately vaccinated, are aware of immunization schedules, recommendations, and requirements, and have the opportunity to be immunized.

Child Care Immunization Record Submission Process

Purpose

Under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), Section 35 (1) of O. Reg. 137/2015 (General), licensed child care centres are required to collect and keep immunization information or a valid exemption for every preschool age child before admission to the centre. The immunization records must be kept up-to-date and available for inspection at all times.

The WECHU’s Child Care Immunization Record Submission Process is a secure method for ensuring immunization information of all preschool age children attending licenced child care centres is submitted to the WECHU as required by law. The WECHU uses records submitted to assess immunization status to inform their work such as in case, contact, and outbreak management.

Process Overview

Graphic of steps for immunizing your child - steps outlined below

Roles and Responsibilities

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit

Conducts annual assessments of licenced child care centre attendees’ immunization records to ensure that records are up-to-date according to the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario.
Follows up with families to provide immunization guidance and support as needed.
Answers questions and supports child care centres to meet Ministry requirements and best practices for preventing spread of infectious diseases.
Conducts case, contact, and outbreak management of vaccine preventable diseases.

Licensed Child Care Centres in Windsor and Essex County

Collects immunization information from the family of each preschool age child, prior to the child’s admission to the child care centre and as needed.
Keeps a copy of the immunization records and any exemption forms for all preschool age children attending the child care centre. These need to be available to review by Ministry of Health staff and/or local Public Health Unit staff (as representatives of the Medical Officer of Health).
Assists the WECHU with annual review of immunization records as directed by the Medical Officer of Health.
Develops and maintains policies to address immunization record for preschool age children and all staff, volunteers, and students on an educational placement at their centre.
Are not required to collect immunization information for children that attend a publicly funded school or private school. Families of school age children are responsible for submitting immunization records to the WECHU.

Parents and/or Legal Guardians

Register with the Immunize Connect Ontario (ICON) through the WECHU online form or contact the WECHU’s Immunization Department at 519-258-2146 for assistance.
Update and submit their child(ren)’s immunization information to the WECHU. This can be done through the ICON database, over the phone, in-person at one of our offices, or you can request that your health care provider send them to the WECHU.
Provide a copy of the child’s immunization record downloaded as a PDF from the ICON database to the child care centre prior to admission. You can also request a copy from the WECHU over the phone or in-person.
Submit immunization information on an ongoing basis to the WECHU as the child receives new immunizations.
Provide updated immunization record downloaded from ICON to the child care centre each time the child receives additional immunizations as they age.
For families with children attending school enrolled at a child care centre, immunization records need to be submitted to the WECHU. Health care providers are not required to submit immunization information to their local public health unit.

Detailed Process

Step 1: New registrants completing WECHU registration online form

The new registrants (i.e., custodial parent or legal guardian) will be directed through the child care centre’s registration process to complete a secure digital online form located on the WECHU’s website. New registrants will have the option to upload a picture or digital copy of their child’s immunization record with the online form.

The form collects basic demographic and contact information and has the new registrant identify which child care centre they are registering for. The information collected is kept secure and confidential.

Families who have questions or would benefit from support can call the WECHU’s Immunization Department at 519-258-2146. The WECHU uses live professional language interpretation to help clients over the phone and in-person at our offices.

Step 2: WECHU Creates/Updates Child’s Immunization Database Profile

The WECHU uses child care registration information submitted by a parent/legal guardian to create or update their child’s profile in the Provincial Immunization Database.

The database is used by all Ontario Public Health Units to securely document immunization records received, and immunization services provided to clients. The database has a secure website portal called Immunize Connect Ontario (ICON) that allows the public to log in, update/submit immunization information and download/print immunization records on file 24/7.

Step 3: New Registrant Submits Immunization Information

The WECHU will notify new registrants when their child’s profile is ready. The WECHU will also provide instructions on how to log into ICON and submit immunization information. This is the same portal and immunization information submission process that is used by families who have children attending elementary and secondary school.

Once logged into the portal, families can view their child’s existing immunization information on file, see if there are any overdue immunizations, submit updated immunization information, and download a printable PDF of all their child’s immunization information on file.

Families who have questions or would benefit from support can call the WECHU.

Step 4: WECHU Reviews & Follows-Up as Needed

WECHU staff will assess the information submitted. Routinely this is completed within a few business days. If there are no concerns, the immunization information is uploaded to the child’s profile in the Provincial Immunization Database.

WECHU staff will follow-up with the family if more information or clarification is needed.

The WECHU will notify the client when immunization information submitted is approved and uploaded.

Step 5: New Registrant Provides Child Care Centre Immunization Record

New registrants then log into Immunize Connect Ontario (ICON) website portal and download a printable PDF of their child’s immunization record to provide to the centre. The PDF includes a summary that indicates whether the child is up to date on their immunizations based on the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules of Ontario.

Policy Template

Licensed child care centres are required to put in place written policies and procedures that provide guidelines related to immunization requirements for preschool age children, staff, volunteers, and students on an education placement at their centre. A policy template with minimum requirements related to immunizations is provided for child care centres to adapt and/or modify to meet their specific needs. Click on the link below to download the Word document.

Immunization for attendees and employees in a licensed child care centre policy template.

Communication Resources

Immunization for all persons working in child care centres letter.

Provide to employees, volunteers or students with an educational placement with the licensed child care centre.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and Outbreak Management in Child Care Centres

For detailed guidance on best practices related to infection prevention and control (IPAC) as well as managing outbreaks, WECHU has created a comprehensive resource for child care owners/operators and staff.

The following topics are included:

IPAC Practices, Policies and Procedures
Management of Outbreaks
Chemical Disinfectant Use and Concentrations
Immunization
Guidelines for Common Communicable Diseases
Key Resources and Definitions
Resources and Signage

Download the Guide

Cover of IPAC and outbreak management in child care centres guide

Benefits of Immunization

Vaccines are a safe and an easy way of preventing the spread of disease and providing individual and group protection from serious illness and hospitalizations. All vaccines undergo an in-depth testing process and must be shown to be safe and effective before being approved in Canada. Once a vaccine has been approved for use, its safety is continuously monitored.

When a person receives a vaccine, it doesn’t just protect them, it also helps to protect our whole community. This is because the more people in a community who are immunized, the harder it is for a disease to spread. This type of protection is called community immunity. Sometimes it’s also called herd immunity.

Community immunity helps keep disease rates low and helps protect the most vulnerable among us, including babies who are too young to be fully immunized and people who cannot get certain vaccines for medical reasons, such as a child receiving treatment for cancer.

Legislation Requirements

Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), Section 35 (1) of O. Reg. 137/2015 (General)

Requires child care centres to collect and keep immunization information or a valid exemption for every preschool age child before admission to the centre. The immunization records must be kept up-to-date and available for inspection at all times.
An exemption on a valid Ministry of Education form is required for a child who cannot receive immunization(s) due to medical reasons or whose parent requests an exemption due to non-medical reasons.

Immunization of School Pupils Act R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 645,

Students attending school in Ontario must be immunized against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, meningococcal, varicella and polio, or have a valid Medical, or Conscience or Religious Belief exemption on file at the Health Unit.

Immunization Requirements for Children

The Medical Officer of Health for Windsor and Essex County requires that every child attending a child care centre is immunized against the following diseases according to their age under the Ontario's Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule:

Parents/guardians should contact their health care provider (e.g., pediatrician, family doctor, nurse practitioner), if they cannot find their child’s updated immunization records. Publicly funded immunization are also available at most walk-in clinics.

Immunization Requirements for Staff

Before starting at the child care centre staff, volunteers, and students on an educational placement must be immunized according to Ontario's Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule. This is endorsed by the local Medial Officer of Health under Section 57 (1), O. Reg. 137/2015.

Required vaccines for child care centre staff, volunteers, and students on educational placement include:

While the following vaccines are strongly recommended for child care centre staff, volunteers, and students on educational placement; each child care centre may choose to implement their own requirements for these vaccines.

Immunization Exemptions

If a parent and/or guardian of a child who cannot receive immunization(s) due to medical reasons or chooses not to immunize their child for non-medical reasons, or a staff member, volunteer, or student chooses not to be immunized against the diseases listed above, a valid exemption form must be obtained. The completed exemption form must be submitted to the WECHU and the child care centre.

Please contact the WECHU’s Immunization Department at 519-258-2146 for information about the immunization exemption process.

In the event of an outbreak or case of a vaccine preventable disease is identified (e.g., measles), children, staff, volunteers, and/or students who are not immunized may be restricted from attending the child care centre in order to minimize the risk of spreading the disease.

Understanding Risks

For parents and/or guardians of child care registrants and/or employees, volunteers, and/or students who choose to delay or not vaccinate, there are some important responsibilities to consider.

Diseases can spread even when no symptoms are showing.
Watch for early signs and symptoms of illness (e.g. fever, rash). If present, the person should be sent home and encouraged to seek medical attention if needed to prevent the spread of disease.
Follow recommended isolation procedures to protect other children, especially infants, young children, pregnant women, and staff, volunteers, and/or students with lower immune systems.
Advise families and staff to bring their immunization record and let the medical staff know their immunization status when visit a doctor, emergency room, or medical clinic. Health care providers may take precautions to prevent the spread of disease to others and this information may assist with determining the illness.
For staff, parents, volunteers, and/or students who are pregnant, advise them to talk to their health care provider about the benefits, risks, and other ways to protect themselves and their family from vaccine preventable diseases (e.g., whooping cough, congenital rubella).