Vaccine clinics are returning to schools around the region for grade seven students, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) announced on Thursday. Parents of students in grade seven will now have the chance to have their child receive the shot for protection against hepatitis B, meningococcal disease (Men-C-ACYW) and human papillomavirus (HPV). In a release, the SMDHU says the vaccines are publicly funded, adding “in Ontario, all health units offer in-school immunization clinics to increase access to these vaccines and reduce barriers for families.” Starting Oct. 9 and running until December, public health nurses will be visiting elementary schools across Simcoe and Muskoka to deliver the first dose of the respective vaccine. A secondary dose will be delivered between April and June of 2027. The health unit says information packages and consent forms were sent home in early September and parents who did not receive them are encouraged to contact their student’s teacher or call the health unit.
