Immunization - Babies and Preschool Children

Having your baby immunized is an important way to protect them from serious and life-threatening diseases. Over the past 50 years, immunizations have saved the lives of many babies and children around the world.

Protecting your Baby or Toddler

Harmful germs can be on surfaces like floors and counters, on toys, foods, and even on people. It is impossible to stop your baby or toddler from coming into contact with all harmful germs. Immunizations work by exposing our bodies to key parts of harmful germs in a safe way so our bodies can build an immune response. Later, if we are exposed to those same germs, our bodies know how to protect us.

Immunization Card / Record

It is important to keep a record of all your child’s immunizations.! Ask the doctor or nurse for an Immunization Card. Bring this card each time your baby gets immunized so the doctor or nurse can add a record of the vaccines. Keeping an accurate record will help remind you when your child is next due and prevent them from receiving more immunizations than needed. Begin reporting your child’s immunizations to the Health Unit when they are a baby and update it with each new immunization. Records are required to attend child care and school and reporting will help to keep the information in a safe place. To report your child’s immunizations or learn more about reporting, visit Immunization Records. 

Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule in Ontario

An immunization schedule is a list of vaccines your child needs as they grow and develop, and the ages for when they should happen. The immunizations recommended in Ontario are free for those who live here, including for newcomers. To learn more about the schedule for babies and toddlers in Ontario, visit the Ministry of Health website.

Immunizations for Children Going to Licensed Child Care

The Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA), Section 35(1) of O.Reg. 137/2015 is a law in Ontario followed by operators of licensed child care. Under this law, operators must collect immunization information or have a valid exemption for children in their care.

Families will need to provide the centre with a copy of their child’s immunization record showing that their child has received all the vaccines for their age under Ontario’s immunization schedule. This helps to protect children attending the centre against disease. Children who have not received the required vaccines may be asked not to attend child care until they are immunized.

Families also need to submit their child’s immunization record to the Health Unit. Every year, the Health Unit assists child care operators with reviewing immunization records. Collecting immunization information helps the Health Unit manage outbreaks of diseases by knowing who is at risk and needs protection.

Children may be exempt from receiving the immunizations needed to go to child care. Reasons for exemption include medical and personal beliefs. For more information on exemptions, visit Vaccine Exemptions.

 Frequently Asked Questions

How are immunizations given to babies?

Most immunizations are given by a needle. For babies under a year old, the needle goes into the leg. There is one vaccine recommended for babies that is given orally (by mouth). Once children turn one year old, needles go into the arm.

What can I do to help my baby during immunization?
There are many ways to help your baby or child during immunization , including:

• Positioning your child upright and hold them close before, during and after the needle.
• Breastfeeding your baby during immunization.
• Distracting your child so that they are not focused on the needle. Try singing a song.

Learn more about helping your child during immunization and reducing pain from the Canadian Paediatric Society and Immunize Canada.

Why do babies get more than one dose of the same immunization?
Babies and toddlers may need to get the same immunization at different ages to keep their immune levels high as they grow. When given at the right time in the schedule, immunizations protect children when they are most at risk for getting sick. Mothers pass some protection to their babies during pregnancy. Once the babies is born and gets older, this protection slowly goes away. Breastfeeding is also an excellent way to keep giving babies some special immunity, but it cannot work on its own to protect against all diseases.

Why do babies and toddlers get more than one immunization at a time? Doesn’t this overwhelm their immune system?
The immunization schedule often has babies and toddlers getting more than one immunization at a time. This is to make sure that children are protected against many diseases early in life when they are most at risk of getting sick. It also means fewer trips to the clinic and fewer periods of pain and discomfort.

Some parents worry that a baby’s immune system can’t handle multiple immunizations, but that’s not the case. Babies are always in contact with germs in the air, food, and objects they touch. This constant contact with germs challenges a child’s immune systems more than immunizations do.

A Parent's Guide to Vaccination
Are you a parent or caregiver with questions about vaccines? A Parent's Guide to Vaccination from the Government of Canada is an excellent online resource to help answer your questions.