AHS will be providing catch-up immunizations in the North Zone for students who did not receive their routine immunizations during the 2020/2021 school year. 

After experiencing some delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic response, the program will begin in northern Alberta this week and continue through August. Booked appointments will be offered at local public health centres throughout the zone.

AHS Public Health will provide in-school immunization services starting again this fall and will ensure that every eligible student has access to vaccines for which consent has been given. 

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 your local public health centre 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. 

The vaccines 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 immunizealberta.ca.