Update Immunization Information

Every time your child gets immunized against designated diseases under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) or Ontario's Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule (which include most routine childhood vaccines), please contact York Region Public Health (YRPH) so we can update your child's immunization information on file.

You can update your child's immunization information with YRPH by:

  • Going online to Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) 
  • Sending a fax to 1-866-258-2026
  • Calling York Region Public Health at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73456
  • Mailing immunization information to: York Region Public Health, Immunization Services, 17150 Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8V3

Immunization is one of the safest ways to protect you, your family and your community from many serious and potentially deadly vaccine preventable diseases. When immunized, a child’s body can fight serious disease and also prevent the disease from spreading to others who are not vaccinated (e.g., due to age, underlying medical conditions, allergies).

Child care and school settings are common places for vaccine preventable diseases to spread. To help keep kids safe, laws in Ontario require that children get certain immunizations to attend daycare and school.

If there is an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease at a licensed child care centre or school, York Region Public Health staff will review the immunization information on file for any children exposed to the infectious person to figure out who has not been immunized and is at risk of becoming ill. Children or students whose immunization for that specific infection is not up-to-date may be excluded (i.e., asked to stay home during the outbreak) from the child care centre or school during the outbreak. For this reason, it is important that your child’s immunizations be up-to-date and on file with York Region Public Health.

Immunizations Requirements for Licensed Child Care

The Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) outlines immunization requirements for children attending licensed child care centres in Ontario.

Children attending a licensed child care centre are required to have proof of immunization against the following diseases, unless a valid exemption is provided:

  • Diphtheria
  • Tetanus
  • Polio
  • Pertussis (whooping cough)
  • Haemophilus influenza type (Hib) B
  • Pneumococcal
  • Rotavirus
  • Measles, mumps and rubella
  • Varicella (chickenpox)
  • Meningococcal – Type C

The timing to receive these required immunizations is outlined in Ontario's Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule. Once a child is enrolled in school, the CCEYA does not apply.

Licensed child care centre operators are required to collect and keep immunization information onsite for each child attending their centre. York Region Public Health will request immunization information directly from the licensed child care centre operator and will review each child's immunization information annually.

Parents or guardians will be notified by York Region Public Health if a child is missing required immunizations or a valid exemption. Review more information about exemptions .

Immunization requirements for students less than 18 years of age attending school

The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA)

The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) outlines immunization requirements for children attending school in Ontario.

Children attending private or a publicly-funded school are required to have proof of immunization against the following diseases unless a valid exemption is provided:

  • Diphtheria
  • Tetanus
  • Polio
  • Pertussis (whooping cough)
  • Measles
  • Mumps
  • Rubella
  • Meningococcal disease
  • Varicella (chicken pox) (for students born in or after 2010)

York Region Public Health reviews the immunization information on file for all students to ensure they are up to date for these diseases.

Health care providers or schools do not provide this information to York Region Public Health . Parents/guardians are required to inform York Region Public Health when their child(ren) receives an immunization against any of the nine designated diseases.

What happens when the immunization information on file isn’t up to date ?

For students under 18 years of age, York Region Public Health sends letters to students’ parents or guardians when immunization information on file with public health is not up to date. You need to review your child’s immunization record (yellow card) to ensure they are immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases as required under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISAP).

Parents/guardians need to provide York Region Public Health with the name of the vaccine(s) and the date(s) given (year, month and day) or a valid exemption form. Immunization information on file with public health can be updated by:

  • Going online to Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) 
  • Faxing to 1-866-258-2026
  • Calling York Region Public Health at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73456
  • Mail immunization information to: York Region Public Health, Immunization Services, 17150 Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8V3

If you continue to receive letters from York Region Public Health, but you believe your child has all the required immunizations, please contact us at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73456.

Students with incomplete immunization information on file may be suspended from school. The Immunization of School Pupils Act outlines that students may be suspended for up to 20 school days if the immunization information is not up to date or a valid exemption is not on file.

York Region Public Health supports parents/guardians and students to reduce the risk of school suspension by providing public health immunization clinics for students to obtain the required immunizations.

Why did I get a notice if I already provided up-to-date immunization records to York Region Public Health?

If a parent/guardian has recently provided their child’s immunization status and receives another notice from York Region Public Health, we may need additional information. Please follow the instructions on the notice or contact us at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73456 for more information. Other reasons you may have received a notice:

  1. York Region Public Health does not have a record of all the required vaccines under the Immunization of School Pupils Act.

    Your child may have received all the required immunizations, but York Region Public Health may not have all the up-to-date information. After your child has registered for school, the parent/guardian is required to provide the child’s up-to-date immunization information to York Region Public Health each time the child is immunized.

    Health care providers and schools do not report student immunization information to York Region Public Health.

  2. Your child may not have received all the required immunizations under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

    To meet the immunization requirements under ISPA, a child’s immunization record must show all of the required vaccine doses have been received at the correct age. For example, if your child was immunized outside of Ontario, they may not have received the required immunizations at the correct age and may be required to receive another vaccine dose.

Submitting your child’s immunization information in Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON)

To submit your child's immunization information to York Region Public Health (YRPH) in ICON, you will need your child’s Ontario Health Card Number (OHCN) or an Ontario Immunization Identification (OIID).

If you are experiencing problems using the OHCN, you will need to have an OIID number. See the next section for more information.

Note: In ICON, it can take up to five business days before any updates appear on your child’s record through the “View Immunizations” feature. You may call us at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73456 if it is longer than five business days.

Important information for first-time users using OIID

If you choose not to use your child’s OHCN or experience problems using the OHCN, you will need to obtain an OIID to submit the immunization.

Please contact us at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73456 to obtain an OIID and a personal identification number (PIN). The PIN is required to verify the information in ICON.

Obtaining a copy of your child’s immunization record

The best way to access your child's record is by using the online tool: Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON)

To view or print your child's immunization record at York Region Public Health (YRPH) using ICON, you can enter your child’s:

  • Ontario Health Card Number or 
  • an Ontario Immunization ID (OIID). If you do not have your child's OIID, you can call YRPH at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73456 to obtain one. We will also provide a personal identification number (PIN) that will be used to verify the information in ICON

You can also call YRPH to request a copy of your child's immunization record. It will take up to five business days to process your request.

Note: Your child's immunization record at YRPH only contains immunizations reported by yourself and immunizations administered by a public health nurse, for example, at a school immunization clinic. Your child may have received additional immunizations, please submit any missing information to YRPH to ensure your child's immunization record is up to date.

Get required immunizations

York Region Public Health is currently providing free student catch-up immunizations

For all other publicly funded immunizations in Ontario, please visit your health care provider’s office or a walk-in medical clinic.

To find a health care provider, use the Health Care Connect program.

Immunization Exemptions

There are two different exemption forms (medical and non-medical) available for a child attending either a licensed child care centre or a school in York Region.

As of September 1, 2017, Ontario parents and guardians that choose not to immunize their child for non-medical reasons are required to attend an immunization education session and complete the statement of conscience or religious belief form. Immunization education sessions for York Region residents are offered by York Region Public Health.

For more information on immunization exemptions, contact York Region Public Health at 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73452. A representative from York Region Public Health may contact you by phone or email regarding education session registration. If you complete an ISPA vaccine education session, you will receive the education certificate via encrypted email 3 - 5 business days after session completion from @email.

If you have any questions, or do not consent to receive the certificate via email, please contact @email or call 1-877-464-9675 ext. 73452.

FAQs: Process for filing a Non-medical Exemption under the ISPA

External Resources