Vaccines - Adults, Healthcare Workers and Older Students

Are your vaccines up to date? As a child, you were probably vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps, and rubella. Adult booster doses are required for some of these same vaccines. You may also be eligible for other recommended vaccines for protection against other diseases.

What vaccines do I need?

It is important that you have an assessment by your own health care provider to see which vaccines you may need for post-secondary school, clinical placements, employers and for your age and stage in life. You may have been given a list of requirements and will need to look at your record to assess what vaccines you have had and those you may still require. Sometimes bloodwork can be done to see if you are already immune to specific diseases, and vaccine doses may not be required.

If you are pregnant, or are immunocompromised due to illness or medication, speak to your health care provider prior to receiving any vaccines.

If you are over the age of 50, pneumococcal and shingles vaccines may be recommended for you as well.

Are your vaccines up-to-date?

Getting your immunization record

You may have your "yellow card" or immunization record. Check with your healthcare provider that all vaccine doses are recorded. If you do not have your record, you can try and access it through the Ontario database.

If you have never lived in London or Middlesex County, you should enter the database through your local public health unit. Call them if your record does not seem to be accessible online.
You must have a valid and current Ontario Health Card and postal code to use the system
TB skin tests are not included on the electronic record
Healthcare providers do not report immunization doses administered automatically to public health. Therefore, your online record may only contain the vaccines you received when you were in school, and vaccines received afterwards will not be there unless you reported them.
if you were born prior to 1980, you may not have a record in the database.

Bloodwork

Most vaccines, when given at the right time and in the right amount, will provide lifelong protection. Sometimes you may need booster shots to continue the protection. If you are asked to get blood tests, they are checking to see if you are immune, or need more doses of certain vaccines.

Immunity can be tested for by blood tests for the following diseases: chickenpox (varicella), measles, mumps, rubella, and hepatitis B. When you work in certain occupations, you may be at higher risk of being exposed to these diseases. Checking to make sure you are immune helps you and your employer know that you are protected.

Please note that the Immunization Clinic at the Middlesex-London Health Unit does NOT provide bloodwork requisitions, and dose not routinely see adults. You must see your own healthcare provider or visit a walk-in clinic to have bloodwork ordered, and you will need to go back to them to receive your results. Vaccines that you require can be given by your healthcare provider or a walk-in clinic. You may need to pay for some vaccines, and this would involve going to a pharmacy.

TB Skin Tests

You may be asked to have a one-step or two-step TB skin test for school, work or volunteering. This helps to assess whether you have been exposed to TB. Please note that this test is NOT available at the Middlesex-London Health Unit. Ask your healthcare provider if they can do the test. Check here to see if your TB skin test is publicly funded (free).

Pregnancy and Immunocompromising Conditions

If you are pregnant or are immunocompromised due to illness or medication, speak to your health care provider prior to any vaccines being given to you. More information from Health Canada is available for pregnant individuals.

Vaccine Schedules and Information

See the list of free and recommended vaccines available to people in Ontario