UBC Medicine experts share insights and tips to help school-aged kids ace their immunizations.
Kids pick up all sorts of things at school: reading and writing skills, math literacy, social skills — and plenty of germs. While the occasional cold or stomach bug is par for the course, it’s important that kids get immunized against serious communicable illnesses to protect themselves, their classmates and their communities.
With some shots offered in schools and others not, parents can find it tricky to keep track of what’s needed, and when. To make sense of it all, we spoke with Dr. Manish Sadarangani (MS), associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the UBC Faculty of Medicine and director of the Vaccine Evaluation Center at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and Dr. Kevin Meesters (KM), clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the UBC Faculty of Medicine, about what parents need to know and how to help kids handle their shots with confidence.
What immunizations are provided in B.C. schools?
MS: In B.C., public health nurses provide routine vaccinations at school in grades six and nine. In grade six, students receive the HPV vaccine, which protects against certain cancers caused by human papillomavirus infection, including cancers of the cervix, genitals, throat and neck. In grade nine, they receive a vaccine that protects against four types of bacterial meningitis, as well as a Tdap vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).
In some schools, public health nurses may also provide immunizations in kindergarten for children who have missed any early childhood immunizations, such as the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine and Tdap-IPV vaccine, which also protects against polio.
Which shots aren’t offered at school?
MS: The annual flu and COVID vaccines aren’t provided through the school system, but are recommended for children six months and older, and are especially important for children under five and those with any underlying health conditions. Parents can register children for these vaccines through B.C.’s Get Vaccinated system, and they’ll receive a notification when it’s time to book an appointment at either a public health clinic or pharmacy.
Can every child get immunized?
KM: Some children with immunocompromising conditions, or who use medications that impair their immune system, may not be able to receive all vaccines. Some vaccines contain what’s called a live attenuated virus — a weakened form of the virus that cannot cause disease in individuals with healthy immune systems. Live attenuated vaccines may be unsuitable for some immunocompromised individuals. That’s why it’s important for everyone who can be immunized to do so, in order to protect others who can’t.
What should you do if your child has missed any vaccines?
MS: It’s never too late to catch up on vaccinations. When public health nurses visit schools, they review vaccination records and offer additional vaccines that may be needed. If you don’t want to wait, you can also contact your local public health clinic or pharmacy to book an appointment. If you come from out of province and can’t access your records, we have health guidelines to deal with that scenario.
How can parents support a child who is anxious or has sensory challenges around vaccinations?
KM: It’s important to prepare your child and acknowledge their anxiety. Be honest and truthful about what is or isn’t going to happen, and discuss strategies for staying calm with them — like deep breathing, focusing on something they enjoy, or comfort from a toy or object. We like to use the CARD system, which stands for Comfort, Ask, Relax, Distract, and there are toolkits available online to help caregivers and students.
Some children will not feel comfortable doing it in the school environment. That’s okay — you can book a time with your local public health unit, family doctor or pediatrician and have it done in a more private setting.
What should parents and caregivers do if they have questions about immunizations?
MS: The HealthLinkBC website has a lot of good information about immunizations and will have the answers to most questions people have. Parents should know that they’re always welcome to speak with their health provider — whether it’s their family doctor, pediatrician or local public health nurse.
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