A Message from The Chief Public Health Officer of Canada

Dr. David Butler-Jones speaks about Immunization

Hello, I am Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer and I want to tell you about an important new initiative from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

It's Time to Immunize is an interactive campaign developed for parents of infant children up to two years of age, providing the information needed to make informed decisions about your child’s health.

Before the introduction of mass childhood vaccination programs, Canadian parents were living with the risk of their children catching crippling and often deadly childhood diseases such as polio, mumps, rubella and diphtheria. 

Over the last 50 years, the introduction of childhood vaccinations has saved more lives worldwide than any other public health practice and is one of the best tools we have to protect the health of our children and avoid large-scale disease outbreaks.

While immunization rates in Canada are high and occurrences of these diseases are relatively low, the risk of exposure remains.  Most of these diseases are still common in other parts of the world and can unknowingly be carried from country to country.  

I invite you to explore the website listed below where you will find important tools including provincial and territorial immunization schedules, factual information on vaccine safety, and “A Parent’s Guide to Immunization”, which provides information on the 13 serious diseases, such as measles, mumps, whooping cough, influenza, diphtheria and tetanus, that can be prevented by vaccinations.  You can download a copy of this guide from the website or you can order hard copies by calling 1 800 O CANADA.

Your health and that of your family is in your hands.  Delaying or choosing not to have your children immunized puts them at risk for contracting and potentially spreading a variety of diseases.  Remember, vaccination protects not just your child, but entire communities. We all play a part in maintaining Canada's strong immunization history and preserving good health for future generations.