AHS School Immunization Program

July 20, 2021

Dear parents, guardians, and students;

AHS will be providing catch up immunizations in the South Zone for students who did not receive their routine immunizations during the 2020/2021 school year. AHS Public Health appreciates your understanding while theimmunization program was suspended, due to the COVID-19pandemic response. We recognize the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on students, families, and school communities.

The program will begin in southern Alberta the week of July 26, 2021 and continue through August. Booked appointments will be offered at our COVID-19 clinic immunization sites, as well as at local public health offices throughout the zone. By making use of our COVID-19 clinic sites, which are already in operation, we can increase our offering of immunization to students and families before the 2021/2022 school year starts. We will still continue to provide school immunization services at the earliest opportunity, and ensure that every eligible student has access to vaccines for which they have received consent for.

Catch up immunizations are available for students who are enrolled in the upcoming 2021/2022 school year in Grades 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. If your child is due for a routine immunization, please contact 1-888-635-0318 or call your local public health office to book an appointment. Immunization is an important way to prevent disease and protect your child’s health and the health of those around them from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Immunization is an important way to prevent disease and protect your child’s health and the health of those around them from vaccine-preventable diseases.

The vaccines are included as part of the Grade 6 school immunization program are Hepatitis B vaccine, which is important to prevent serious damage to the liver, and Human Papillomavirus vaccine, also known as HPV vaccine, which helps prevent against certain types of cancers. The Grade 9 vaccines include a dose of dTap vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis and a dose of meningococcal vaccine, which protects against meningitis. For more information, please visit - AHS Immunization | Immunization (immunizealberta.ca).

Once again, I want to thank all parents, guardians, and students for their patience with the school immunization program. Wishing you a safe and healthy school year.

With kind regards,

Allison Gonsalves, MD, FRCPC
Medical Officer of Health 
Alberta Health Services, South Zone