Alberta Party will make vaccinations mandatory for children attending publicly-funded schools

March 07, 2019 - Edmonton, AB - ​Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel promised an Alberta Party government will require children to have up-to-date immunizations in order to attend a publicly-funded school.

“This is a public health issue, plain and simple. Parents should be able to send their kids to school without fear they’ll contract serious illnesses such as measles, mumps, whooping cough and polio. Under an Alberta Party government, children will need to have up-to-date immunizations in order to attend a publicly-funded school. At a time when measles outbreaks are rising throughout the world, and even occurring in Canada, it’s more important than ever that our children and communities are protected. We send our kids to school to learn, not to get sick.”

An Alberta Party government will require children to have up-to-date immunizations in order to attend a publicly-funded school.

• In order to register a child to attend a publicly-funded school, parents will need to provide proof that the child’s immunizations are up-to-date under Alberta Health Services’ Routine Immunization Schedule.

• The requirement will apply to all schools that receive public funding, including schools falling under the jurisdictions of public and separate school boards and Charter schools. It will cover all publicly-funded elementary, junior high and senior high schools.

• All immunizations included in Alberta’s Routine Childhood Immunization Schedule will continue to be offered to children in Alberta free of charge, as per Alberta Health Services’ existing approach.

• As noted by Alberta Health Services, childhood immunizations not only arm children against disease but are also important in helping protect vulnerable people in the community and the community as a whole.

• Alberta Health Services provides information about the benefits and importance of immunizing children at ​www.immunizealberta.ca

• Details around the implementation of the requirement (such as medical exemptions and the list of required immunizations) will be developed in consultation with Alberta’s medical community and with a view to models used in other jurisdictions.