Get Immunized!

Immunizations are one of the safest ways to protect you, your children and your community from serious and potentially deadly vaccine-preventable diseases.

Immunizing your child against vaccine-preventable diseases helps keep children safe and healthy in school, in the community and at home!

Update and access your child’s reported immunization records with York Region Public Health online on ICON. Your health care provider does not provide us with your child’s immunizations.

Update Immunization Records Now

Did you know? To help keep children safe, laws in Ontario require children to get certain immunizations to attend school.

Check with your health care provider today to see if your child is missing any required immunizations or go to ICON to view your child’s required immunizations.

Does your child need a routine immunization?  Your child may get a routine immunization at their health care provider’s office or a York Region Public Health student catch-up immunization clinic by appointment only.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA)

What are the Immunization Requirements for students under the age of 18 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.

In Ontario's routine immunization schedule, vaccines are free of charge if you meet the eligibility criteria. 

Children attending a 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) 

To meet the requirements under ISPA, a child’s immunization record must show that all the required vaccine doses were received at the correct age. 

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

Neither health care providers nor schools 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. 

How can I submit a child’s immunization information to York Region Public Health? 

Parents/guardians of students who attend school in York Region 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 
  • Mailing immunization information to: York Region Public Health, Immunization Services, 17150 Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8V3

Watch this video for a step-by-step process of updating and accessing your child's reported immunizations. 

Submitting records via 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). 

After the Health Card matches are confirmed, you will be asked to create a PIN. Remember to keep your PIN in a safe spot for logging in to ICON in the future.

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.

Accessing reported immunizations via ICON

  • After inputting your child’s health card number and a PIN:
  • Review the next page, which will show your child’s immunization records that are on file with YRPH, and any other records required
  • Select “printable PDF version of immunization records” to print this information for your files. 

Where do I provide my child’s immunization information if they attend a school outside of York Region?

If your child resides in York Region but attends a school outside York Region, such as Toronto, please upload your child’s immunization information to Toronto Public Health’s ICON. 

Alternatively, if you reside outside of York Region and your child attends a school in York Region, you are required to provide their immunization information to York Region Public Health. If you uploaded the immunization information into a different ICON based on where you reside, York Region Public Health cannot access it until it is processed by the other public health unit. This process may take several business days.

What do I do if I can no longer access my child’s immunization record, such as if my child’s physician is now retired?

Contact your physician’s office or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario if your physician’s office/clinic is no longer open (operational).

If you are submitting a request for a record or submitting an immunization record, the following information should be included:

  • First and last name  
  • Date of birth  
  • Address and phone number  
  • School attending (if applicable)  

Under ISPA, nine designated diseases are required (Varicella for those born after January 1, 2010). Proof of vaccination should include these diseases and all doses required in the vaccine series.    

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 (ISPA).

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

Mailing 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 (ISPA) 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 in reducing the risk of school suspension by providing public health immunization clinics for students to obtain the required immunizations. 

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

Why did I receive a notice if I had 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. 
Where can students receive 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. 

What if I do not want my child to receive vaccines for medical or philosophical reasons?

There are two different exemption forms available for a child attending either a licensed child care centre or a school in York Region.

Please complete the correct form based on your reason. 

For children attending school:

For children in licensed child care: 

Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), Ontario parents and guardians who 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 for schools. York Region Public Health offers immunization virtual education sessions for York Region residents. 

Book an immunization education session. A representative from York Region Public Health may contact you by phone or email regarding registration for the education session. If you have any questions regarding the education session, please call 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73452.When you complete an ISPA vaccine education session, you will receive the education certificate via encrypted email three to five business days after session completion from @email. If you do not consent to receive the certificate by email, please contact @email or 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73456. 

For more information on immunization exemptions, contact York Region Public Health at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73456. 

My child does not have an Ontario Health Card (OHIP); how can I get them immunized? 

Children without an Ontario Health Card are still able to get immunized at our school-based clinics and/or student catch-up clinics.  

Families are encouraged to bring all immunization records to the appointment so that one of our Public Health Nurses can assess the records and determine if your child is missing any doses. 

Is it okay if my child receives multiple immunizations at the same time?

Yes, your child’s immune system can safely and effectively handle receiving many vaccines at once. Receiving multiple vaccines is safe, convenient and ensures the best protection for your child at the earliest age possible.

For more information, visit york.ca/immunizations or call 1-877-464-9675.