Vaccination clinics coming to B.C. public schools

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – In an effort to boost the immunization rate among kids in B.C., the province says it will start holding vaccination clinics in schools.

Nurses will go into schools, offering vaccinations for under and un-vaccinated kids, on the heels of B.C.’s measles outbreak.

Health minister Adrian Dix says the focus is second shots for kids in Kindergarten through Grade 2. Catch up shots will also be available with standard Grade 6 and Grade 9 immunizations.

Herd immunity — which helps protect those who cannot be immunized due to medical reasons — is effective when a community’s vaccination rate is 95 per cent or higher. In 2018, the measles vaccination rate among seven-year-olds in B.C. was at 82 per cent. That’s down from 88 per cent in 2017.

“The 88 or 82 isn’t important. What’s important is that we ensure that clearly that tens of thousands of children who need to be immunized have the opportunity get immunized,” Dix said.

“The responsibility, I think, right now is to raise those rates. We’re going to take advantage, in a sense, of the interest now to build on that momentum.”

He says there will be reports on how the program is going in early May, June, and July.

This comes as the province works to bring in mandatory vaccination reporting at public schools starting this September. Details of the registration program are expected in May.

Dix is not ruling out mandatory vaccination for school admittance this fall, saying the first goal is to improve as much as possible with this program.

“Immunization is an effective and very easy step to take,” said Education Minister Rob Fleming.

Dix says the “catch-up” campaign will start after spring break, adding the province is spending $3 million to buy measles vaccines for this latest effort.

Health clinics will also have extended availability for vaccinations.

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