Immunizations and Records

New Registrants:

When families register children into the Centre, they need to give a copy of the child’s immunization record to:

• the Centre
  • Centre can choose to keep records as paper or electronic copies
• the Middlesex-London Health Unit
  • Centre DOES NOT need to fax record to the Health Unit

Helpful information to give new registrant family:

• It is the responsibility of parent(s)/guardian to inform the Health Unit of all vaccines their child receives from childhood until the end of secondary school.
• This record can be updated online through a system called ICON.
  • If there are barriers to using the online records system (including not having an Ontario Health Card), the record can be mailed or dropped off at the Health Unit.
  • When the Health Unit completes its yearly review, please send the child's record when it is requested.

Yearly Review Process:

• The Middlesex-London Health Unit will ask you to send in your list of the children attending your centre. Information requested will include:
• name
• date of birth
• demographics
• parent names

This is done through an excel sheet, sent by secure email. The electronic version of this file downloads into the Ontario Immunization database. It assigns all the children to your facility within the system.

• MLHU gets a list of children at your facility who have incomplete immunization records for their age
• Records are reviewed for what vaccines are missing
• Letters are made for each child with missing information.
• List of children receiving letters is given to the facility
• The childcare operator can review list to see who the letters are going to, and for which vaccines
• The childcare operator has two choices:
  • If the childcare operator has record of the information that the health unit is missing, they can fill out the list with the information from the childcare centre records. If the dates are provided to the health unit this way, those specific letters do not have to be given to the families and can be shredded. If the childcare operator does not have the information that is being requested, the letter can be given to the family. Noting children who no longer attend facility assists the health unit to reconcile information for the Ministry and will stop future letters being sent for that child.
  • The childcare operator can hand out all the letters (without looking at records) and tell MLHU who is no longer in the facility on the list. If choosing this option, remember the Childcare and Early Years Act (CCEYA) legislation states that childcare operators are required to have up-to-date records within the facility.
• The childcare operator will send a list to the health unit by fax (519-663-0416) within one month of receiving it. A reminder may be sent to you if it is not received within that time frame.

Keeping Records Current:

No matter how you choose to keep and maintain immunization records, it is important to keep records updated as the children become older. Childcare centres are accountable through the CCEYA to have up-to-date records to maintain licensure. Health units are accountable to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to maintain immunization records for children within the Ontario database.