Live virtual Q&A on our YouTube channel. Submit your questions live in the comments (need to be logged into a Google account) or submit by email to: ckphucommunications@chatham-kent.ca
Planning a Winter Vacation?
Don’t forget your travel shots! It’s always exciting planning a trip. Your travel destination will have all kinds of new and fun things to do and so many different foods to taste. Keeping yourself healthy to enjoy all of these pleasures takes some planning too. Have you consulted a travel clinic about possible vaccinations or other medications that may be … Read More
Whooping Cough… Are you Protected?
Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a respiratory infection that can cause coughing and choking spells which can last for weeks and even months. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to get immunized. Ensure that your children have had all their pertussis shots, as well as their high school booster shot. Adults can receive a … Read More
Tara’s Story
Immunizations are important in all stages of life. Infants and young children need shots because their immune systems are not mature enough to fight infection. They need their shots given on a well – timed schedule. Older children and adults also need shots to restore fading immunity or to build new immunity against different diseases. So, please, choose to immunize, … Read More
Preparing your Student for Clinic Day
Your child may be feeling anxious about getting needles at school. The Public Health Nurses work to minimize the time the students are within the environment, and use other techniques to decrease pain and anxiety, in order to help the student through the process. Here are some ways for you to help your child prepare for the clinic day: … Read More
Upcoming Grade 7 School Immunization Clinic Dates
Our vaccination clinics for Grade 7 students will continue at local schools in April and May to protect against Hepatitis B, Meningococcal Disease and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). These vaccines are only available free of charge from Chatham-Kent Public Health; they are not available from your doctor. Only those students with signed and completed consent forms can receive these shots. If … Read More
How can I reduce the pain of vaccinations for my baby or child?
Vaccinations are important in order to prevent disease and illness in your child, however they can at times cause anxiety for both you and your little one. Below are some tips to reduce pain from shots and make the experience better for the both of you. Have your baby/child sit on your lap for a cuddle during the immunization If … Read More
Need to Report Your Child’s Shots? — ICON
Check out our new secure online system for reporting your child’s immunizations to Chatham-Kent Public Health called ICON (Immunization Connect Ontario). You can also view your child’s current, overdue and upcoming immunizations. It’s like a yellow card, only better. Why should I use this site? It’s an online alternative to paper immunization records. It allows you to securely keep track of … Read More
March is Help Fight Liver Disease Month
You may be surprised to learn that there are over 100 types of liver disease. One type is viral Hepatitis. Caused by viruses that attack the liver, viral hepatitis comes in many forms. The most common of these are hepatitis A, B and C. Hepatitis A is spread by contaminated food and water. It is very common in some … Read More
Concerned about Shingles? Free vaccine available!
The shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is available to adults age 50 years and older. This vaccine is covered by Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) only for those aged 65-70 years old. For other age groups, there is a cost which may be covered by your insurance benefit plan. Shingles or herpes zoster is caused by the virus that causes chickenpox. … Read More
High School Students: Are You Up to Date?
Caution: This video contains science 🙂 Often when we think of vaccines, we think of our baby and childhood shots. We forget that in order to keep that same level of protection that we enjoyed as children, we occasionally need booster doses. Tetanus booster shots are required every ten years for all teens and adults. The Tdap (Adacel) shot provided to adolescents … Read More
Require shots for school? Contact us — We can help.
The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit has mailed suspension letters for elementary and high students whose immunization records remain incomplete. The letters contain what information is missing and how to update the health unit to ensure your child can remain in school. April 2, 2019 is suspension day and only the health unit can rescind the suspension not the school … Read More