Immunizations protect your child against several serious, life-threatening infectious diseases. Your child should receive their immunizations according to the schedule recommended for your province, state, or country. For more specific information, contact your child's health care provider, or the local public health unit for your community.
The following chart is the recommended schedule of immunizations during childhood for the province of Ontario as of June 2022. For the most current recommendations according to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and for each province and territory go to the Government of Canada website.
Descriptions of immunizations
DTap-IPV-Hib: Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated polio virus, Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
Immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough) is important, since all of these diseases can be deadly. Pertussis is a serious disease, especially for young babies. Children who get pertussis can have spells of violent coughing. The cough can cause children to stop breathing for brief periods of time. The cough can last for weeks and makes it difficult for children to eat, drink and breathe. The risk of children getting pertussis increases if fewer children are immunized. The risk to babies can be reduced if people get immunized during pregnancy.
The polio vaccine protects children from this now rare but crippling disease. Polio can cause nerve damage and can paralyze a person for the rest of their life. The inactivated polio vaccine is now recommended for all polio doses.
Haemophilus influenzae is a type of bacteria that causes several life-threatening diseases in young children such as meningitis, epiglottitis and pneumonia. Before the vaccine was available, a large number of children developed Haemophilus influenzae meningitis each year. Some died and others developed learning or developmental problems such as blindness, deafness or cerebral palsy. Because of the vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b infection is now uncommon. The Hib vaccine does not protect against pneumonia and meningitis caused by viruses or other bacteria.
For more information, see tetanus, pertussis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine.
Pneu-C: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Pneumococcal infections are serious bacterial infections that may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis. The pneumococcal vaccine protects against the many types of pneumococcal bacteria that cause most of these serious diseases. The vaccine also prevents a small percentage of ear infections caused by pneumococci.
Routine use of pneumococcal vaccine is now recommended for babies and toddlers. Some older children with serious illnesses, such as sickle cell anemia, may also benefit from the vaccine.
Rota: Rotavirus oral vaccine
Rotavirus is a condition that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes the diarrhea is so severe, children need to be hospitalized. It is very contagious and spreads easily between children. The rotavirus vaccine is a liquid given by mouth.
Men-C-C: Meningococcal conjugate C vaccine
Meningococcal infections are serious bacterial infections that cause bloodstream infections or meningitis.
MMR: Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine
This is a three-in-one immunization that protects against measles, mumps and rubella. It is given in infancy and then again at pre-school age. The pre-school age dose is given in combination with varicella (chicken pox) vaccination.
For more information, see measles, mumps, and rubella.
Var: Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
This vaccine is 70% to 90% effective in preventing chickenpox. The first dose is given in the second year of life and the second dose is given at pre-school age in combination with the MMR vaccine. If vaccinated children get chickenpox, they have a much milder form of the disease.
For more information, see chickenpox (varicella).
Men-C-ACYW-135: Meningococcal conjugate ACYW-135 vaccine
Students in Grade 7 are eligible to receive a single dose of this vaccine. Students who were eligible in Grade 7 and have not yet received the vaccine are eligible for a single dose of Men-C-ACYW.
HB: Hepatitis B vaccine
Vaccination against hepatitis B prevents this type of hepatitis and the severe liver damage that can occur 20 or 30 years after a person is first infected. A significant number of adults die each year from hepatitis-related liver cancer or cirrhosis. The younger the person is when the infection occurs, the greater the risk of serious problems. Students in Grade 7 are eligible to receive this vaccine.
HPV: Human papillomavirus vaccine
HPV is a virus that can lead to different types of cancers in females and males. Both males and females are eligible to receive this vaccine starting in Grade 7.
For more information, see human papillomavirus (HPV) and genital warts and human papillomavirus (HPV): What you need to know.
Inf: Seasonal influenza vaccine
Influenza is a common respiratory virus in the fall and winter. It can lead to pneumonia and hospitalization, especially in young children and children with underlying medical conditions. All children and youth are encouraged to get the seasonal influenza vaccine. To be protected from influenza infection, the vaccination must be given every year.
For more information, see influenza (flu).
Other vaccines
Hepatitis A vaccine
The hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for children and teenagers in selected geographic regions, and for certain people at high risk. Talk to your health care provider or local public health unit for more information.
For more information, see hepatitis A.
Considerations before vaccinating
If any of the following conditions apply to your child, talk to your doctor before getting your child vaccinated.
- Your child had an allergic reaction to a previous vaccination.
- Children who are immunocompromised should not be given live virus vaccines such as chickenpox or MMR. If your health-care provider has told you to delay or avoid live vaccines, your child is at risk of contracting those infections if exposed.
- Your child has egg allergies. Children who are allergic to eggs can receive all routine immunizations. However, there are several types of flu vaccines and some of these vaccines could cause an allergy if your child is allergic to eggs while others do not. If your child has a severe allergy to eggs, talk to their doctor about which one to get.
Unwarranted reasons not to vaccinate
Unnecessary precautions have led some parents to postpone or cancel scheduled immunizations. A child can still be immunized in the following situations.
- The child had soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site after a previous DTaP shot.
- The child had a fever of less than 40.5°C (105°F) after a previous DTaP shot.
- The child has a mild illness such as a cold, cough or diarrhea without a fever.
- The child is recovering from a mild illness such as a cold, cough or diarrhea.
- The child has recently been exposed to an infectious disease.
- The child is taking antibiotics.
- The child was premature.
- The child's mother is pregnant.
- The child is breastfeeding.
- The child has allergies (with the exception of the influenza vaccine as explained above).
