An overview of immunization for children who have not been fully immunized according to the standard schedule.
Key points
Immunization protects your child against disease.
In Canada, children normally receive vaccines according to a schedule.
There are several reasons why a child may not be fully immunized, including illness or being new to Canada.
If your child has not been immunized according to the normal schedule, speak to your child’s doctor.
Your child should have a written immunization record.
Introduction
Immunization (vaccines) protects your child against several serious, life-threatening infectious diseases. Your child should receive vaccinations according to the schedule recommended for your province, state or country. Your child should also have a written record of which immunizations they have had and when.
Children who are new to Canada — immigrant, refugee or adopted children — may not be vaccinated according to Canada's schedule.
Treatment
The immunization schedule
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.
If your child has not been fully immunized
There are several reasons why children may not have received all their vaccines, such as:
missing one or more appointments with their primary care provider
illness during the time they should have had a vaccine
being new to Canada: immigrant, refugee and internationally adopted children may not have been immunized according to Canada’s schedule or some vaccines may not be available where they come from
These children could be at risk of catching a vaccine-preventable disease. If your child has not been fully immunized for any reason, talk to your primary care provider about how to make up the missing vaccines.
If your child has not been in your care since birth, it may be hard to determine their vaccine history. If your child has a written immunization record, show it to your doctor.
All children who have not been fully immunized, or who do not have a written immunization record, should start receiving vaccines on a routine schedule. This schedule depends on your child’s age. Speak to your doctor about what is right for your child.
If you are unsure of your child's immunization history, it is always preferable to give a vaccine. There is no harm to repeating any immunization, unless the child has had an allergic reaction to the vaccine in the past or has an underlying disease that could affect the response to the vaccine.
More information about the treatment
Reasons not to vaccinate
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.
Your child has a condition or is receiving treatment that is known to weaken the immune system. Your child’s health-care provider may delay or avoid certain vaccines for your child.
