What should I do? AB Canada Specific.

[MyBoysBlue]

My DS's school sent home forms for me to fill out from our local health region. They are for the DTaP-IPV and the MMR. Each form has a refusal of consent section I could fill out. I really don't know if I should go on record with our health region. It isn't our doctors who give the vaccinations it's the clinics run by the region. Alberta is supposed to not need exemptions as it isn't mandated for school. DS was partially vaxed so they have his records and that is why they know what he is behind on. Why is this coming through the school? There is nothing saying they would be giving them to him at the school or even when. It does say to return the forms by Oct 30 and there is supposed to be a flu clinic on the 6th at the school.

Any advice? I don't want to sign something I shouldn't and can't take back.

[morning glory]

I'm in Alberta too and I'm wondering if it may be that they are going to give out vaccinations at the school. I know it was very common when I was a kid to have them line us all up like cattle and vaccinate everyone.

My first step would be to call the school and find out if that is the case. After that I wouldn't fill out the form. I'd just keep it on file and write a letter to the school saying something along the lines of you DO NOT consent to ANY vaccination being administered at the school and that all of your healthcare decisions will be made with your Dr.

[japonica]

They do give vaxes and boosters at school. It's nothing new. I recall getting a rubella booster in grade 6 waaaaaay back when dinosaurs roamed the earth...LOL. And more recently my nieces were given hep B shots at school.

I would also call the school and then do what you need to, letter and/or form to ensure that your wishes are known. And if you're concerned about needle happy school nurses, maybe also find out what day(s) they are doing the boosters and either keep your DC home or else (what I recall MT/Hilary saying) write on their upper arm in marker "no shots!" in case they shoot first and look for paperwork later...mistakes have been made elsewhere...

[momto l&a]

Find out what day the vaccines are being given at school and keep your children home that day so no "mistakes" are made.

[CarrieMF]

There will not be any mistakes made. It is not by school nurses.

The form is for Grade 5 kids to get their next set of boosters. If you mark the refusal for consent they will send that child back to their classroom, no questions asked. If you do not mark it, the public health nurse will ask the child to double check with their parents on whether they want anything or not & if they do then they can contact public health.

It is being sent from the school because it's the easiest way for public health to get everyone. It is also easier for the parents to not have to make the appt, take thier kid out of school, etc. It has been done in the schools for years.

On the day of the shots public health comes & sets up in a room with 2 nurses(maybe more depending on how big the school population is, but at our school it's 2) in that room. A 3rd nurse(usually the PH head nurse) is outside the room at a table with everyone's forms. A teacher, TA or Parent Helper goes to the class & brings 3 kids back. The nurse at the table will go over the form, explain to the child what needles they're getting, what to do after the needle, then if there's a chair in the room with the other nurses they take thier form, go in & get their shot.

I've helped out twice doing this, mostly because my dd will be in Grade 6 next year when they do them here, she is not getting them & and I wanted to make sure I knew how things run. I'm there mostly to watch any kids who may feel ill after. When they did them here a few weeks ago 3 boys passed out.

[Devaskyla]

I don't understand why you don't want to go on record with the health region? It's not like they're going to hunt you down or anything. I told the health nurse when ds2 was born that we weren't going to be vaxing, she made a note in the file not to send us reminders, end of story. Still get the stupid flu vax notices, but no one has ever contacted us about vaccines for any other reason.

[morning glory]

I don't understand why you don't want to go on record with the health region? It's not like they're going to hunt you down or anything. I told the health nurse when ds2 was born that we weren't going to be vaxing, she made a note in the file not to send us reminders, end of story. Still get the stupid flu vax notices, but no one has ever contacted us about vaccines for any other reason.

This has mostly been my experience too...although I have gotten grief from ER docs.

But I know a mom who gets calls at least once a month from her public health nurse about vaccinations. She has told her she doesn't believe in them but the woman still calls. So I can see wanting to fly under the radar.

[MammaKoz]

Just popping in here to say I'm on record with all 3 of my kids not being vax'd and we've never, ever had a problem. Even when Noah was in the hospital last spring with RSV, they asked about his vax's, I said we didn't, and it was no big deal. Same with last week when we were in the ER with him. No one has ever tried to have "the talk" with us about it at all.

Really, no one seems to care, which is great. They just make note and move right along.

I know this thread is a few weeks old, but just in case there are other AB moms out there lurking I wanted to add my experiences.

Morning Glory, where is your friend located that keeps getting the call once a month from Public Health? If you don't mind me asking, I'm just curious.

[Tapioca]

yet another reason why I love Canada.

[MyBoysBlue]

Well I did go on record, but I didn't fill out my phone number or address on the form. Which they did ask for. I also told DS that he is not to allow anyone to give him a needle unless DH or I was with him. I was going to keep him home on the day of the flu clinic at the school but I forgot. I don't know if that was the day they were doing the vaxs too. I am pretty sure they won't make a mistake it's a pretty crunchy town for a small town.

My SIL (not married to my BIL therefore different last name) was tracked down to my MIL's house after they moved to be reminded to bring her kids in for their shots. That is why I was wary of going on record. I did have those same calls come to me when DS 1 was born in hospital. But we have moved a few times and switched to cell phones only since then so they haven't been calling anymore until they got to us through the school.

DS 2 was a UC and is now 2 and I have never received a call regarding shots for him.