Vax requirements in Montreal (area).

[mmhinton]

There is a possibility that our family will be making a (temporary = yr + or -) move to the Montreal area. My boys are currently 4 1/2 and 3 yrs old so they would (depending on when we go) be in PreK/K. Right now, we are using the "religious exemption" allowed by our state regarding not vaccinating. But, I am having difficulty finding info re: vax requirements in Canada - and specifically, Montreal area!

Can anyone help with this? If you have links, that would of course, be great. If you know the answers (from living there or whatever) that too would be VERY helpful!!

[ma2two]

Québec has no vaccine requirements for school.

http://www.vran.org has good information about Canadian vaccine requirements.

[Emmeline II]

It's probably in the link above--the right not to vax is constitutionally protected in Canada, though 3 provinces require exemption forms for school.

[MyBoysBlue]

Only 3 provinces, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Ontario, have vaccine requirements for school, and they have exemptions available. 

http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/canada.htm

I used to have the link for the "HEALTH CANADA STATEMENT ON IMMUNIZATION" from the Health Canada website but they seem to have archived the page and I can't find it anywhere.  I did find a statement that some province require that kids are up-to-date on all vaccinations to enter school but that isn't exactly true since even the provinces that have some mandated vaccines only have a few.

[~Amy~]

As a PP mentioned, the right to not vaccinate is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I live in NB, one of the provinces that requires an exemption form but in my experience, it's just a formality. I've never had anyone bat an eye about my son's vax status (he is completely unvaxed). I believe only private preschools/schools have the right to refuse admission based on vax status but I've never heard of one that has. My son's preschool (private synagogue preschool) just had me sign a form. The same was true at the Montessori we looked at before choosing the synagogue. I have lots of friends that don't vax or do so delayed and/or selectively and no one I've heard of has had a problem.