School immunization clinics for grade 7 and 8 students in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark

Immunizations remain an important part of a healthy lifestyle, even during COVID-19.

For the 2020/21 school year, the Health Unit will be offering the Meningitis, Hepatitis B and HPV9 vaccines for Grade 7 students, and those Grade 8 students that did not complete their series last year at school based clinics. The school based clinics will be held at host schools throughout Leeds, Grenville and Lanark on weekends beginning Saturday, October 24.

These weekend clinics will be by appointment only. This new model of service will help to minimize traffic in the schools during regular school hours, which is one of the COVID-19 prevention methods that schools currently have in place.

Schools will provide parents/caregivers of Grade 7 and 8 students with clinic dates and information on completing consent forms and booking appointments.

Parents or caregivers are asked to:

• Review immunization information at https://healthunit.org/health-information/immunization/grade-7-immunizations/
• Print off a consent form to send with their child. There will be consent forms available at the clinics if parents/caregivers are not able to print off a copy. https://healthunit.org/wp-content/uploads/Vaccine_Consent_Form.pdf
• Schedule an appointment for their child’s scheduled school clinic by visiting the ‘Calendar for 2020/21 School Immunization Clinics’ at https://healthunit.org/health-information/immunization/grade-7-immunizations/ and registering through the Host School Eventbrite links. Alternatively, parents or caregivers can call 1-800-660-5853 and ask to speak with a Vaccine Preventable Disease team member to register.

The Health Unit is planning additional immunization clinics for Grade 7 and 8 students who may need extra support or who are unable to attend their scheduled school clinics. Information about these additional clinics will be posted on our website at a later date.

Parents and caregivers are reminded about the following day of clinic COVID-19 precautions:

• Complete the school screening online https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ and follow the instructions given. DO NOT ATTEND if student screens positive.
• Please notify screeners when you arrive and follow the directions given.
• Parents/caregivers are not allowed to accompany the student into the school.
• Students must wear a face covering.
• Please be prepared to wait 30 minutes from the time the student is allowed into school.

More information can be found at https://healthunit.org/health-information/immunization/grade-7-immunizations/.

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Author: Hometown News