Childhood Immunization (Motion #55-10)

Approved on November 18, 2010, by the Sudbury & District Board of Health.

Motion

WHEREAS immunization is one of the most effective public health strategies, saving more lives in Canada in the last 50 years than any other single health intervention; and

WHEREAS immunization coverage rates are important indicators of health, estimating the proportion of individuals who have completed a recommended immunization series; and

WHEREAS the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) require that Boards of Health undertake activities to reduce or eliminate the burden of vaccine preventable diseases; and

WHEREAS in the absence of mandatory immunization reporting by all health care providers, public health has inaccurate immunization coverage information upon which to base important vaccine preventable disease program decisions;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health advocate to the federal government for a national vaccine registry to collect, analyse (by geographic and socio-demographic variables), share and report immunization information, particularly in early childhood; and

FURTHER THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health urge the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) to develop legislation, beyond the Day Nurseries Act, that assists public health units in monitoring the vaccine coverage rates of infants, toddlers and preschool children; and

FURTHER THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health urge the MOHLTC to develop legislation that requires the reporting of all publicly funded immunizations provided by health care providers; and

THAT a copy of this motion be forwarded to the Ontario Public Health Association, the Association of Local Public Health Agencies, and all Ontario boards of health.

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This item was last modified on June 12, 2015