Study Finds Most Brampton School Children Vaccinated

Published September 26, 2019 at 4:38 pm

The Region of Peel’s Public Health division released a report regarding immunization rates for school children born between 2001 and 2017.

The Region of Peel’s Public Health division released a report regarding immunization rates for school children born between 2001 and 2017.

The report found that a substantial number of children have been immunized against diseases such as Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) immunizations and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP).  

“What the data shows us is that the vast majority of students in Peel are up-to-date on these crucial vaccinations,” Dr. Lawrence Loh, associate medical officer of health for the Region of Peel, said in a news release.

According to the available data, 94.6 percent of school children in Peel are immunized against MMR, and 90.8 percent are vaccinated against DTP. The lower number of children immunized against DTP is reportedly due to the fact there is an additional vaccine dose required during adolescence.

The average non-medical exemption rate (people opposed to vaccines) for the MMR and DTP vaccines is just 1.8 percent.

The reported data is an estimate of the number of students who have been vaccinated and not an exact number.

“This report provides a high-level overview of estimates of coverage within each school, but should not be used to assess individual risks,” Loh added. “The school environment is only one of many environments where exposure can occur. It’s important to remember that the best defense against communicable diseases is to be fully vaccinated according to the Province of Ontario’s immunization schedule.”

This is the first year the Region of Peel has collected and published this sort of information, and officials intend to analyze the benefits of continuing to do so in the future.

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