B.C.'s routine immunizations are safe and proven to help protect against vaccine-preventable diseases at any age.

In Canada, the risk of getting a vaccine-preventable disease is rare. This is only the case because these diseases are now rare because of high immunization rates. However, the bacteria and viruses that cause these diseases still exist. If immunization rates drop, these diseases can come back; this has happened in other countries, resulting in many hospitalizations and deaths.

Many diseases that are uncommon in Canada are still circulating in other parts of the world and can be brought to Canada by people who travel abroad. Without protection from vaccines, these diseases can spread quickly and cause outbreaks.

By ensuring your family stays up to date on routine vaccinations, you can help protect yourself and your loved ones.

See which vaccines are recommended and when.

This PDF combines all of the information in the individual schedules listed below.

Click on the vaccine name to see additional information for each vaccine.

Vaccine	2 Months	4 Months	6 Months	12 Months	18 Months	Starting at 4  Years of Age  (Kindergarten Entry)
Chickenpox (Varicella) Vaccine (#44b)				Image
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B, Polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP-HB-IPV-Hib) Vaccine (#105)	Image	Image	Image
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Haemophilus influenzae Type b (DTaP-IPV-Hib) Vaccine (#15b)					Image
Hepatitis A Vaccine (#33)  Indigenous children only			Image		Image
Inactivated Influenza (Flu) Vaccine (#12d)			Image Yearly for children 6 months of age and older (The live attenuated vaccine is not approved for use in children under 2 years of age).
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine (#14a)				Image
Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella (MMRV) Vaccine (#14e)						Image
Meningococcal C Conjugate (Men-C) Vaccine (#23a)	Image			Image
Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV 13) Vaccine (#62a)	Image	Image		Image
Rotavirus Vaccine (Rotarix®) (#104a)	Image	Image
Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio (Tdap-IPV) Vaccine (#15a)						Image

Note: The vaccine schedules can change. Speak with your health care provider, or call 8-1-1 if you have questions. Immunization tables developed and reviewed by HealthLink BC , BC Ministry of Health , and BC Centre for Disease Control .

1. Children who have had chickenpox or shingles disease, confirmed by a lab test, at 1 year of age or older do not need the chickenpox vaccine, and should get the MMR vaccine at 4 years of age.
2. Yearly influenza immunization is recommended and provided free to children 6 months of age and older. Children receiving the vaccine for the first time should get 2 doses 4 weeks apart.

This PDF combines all of the information in the individual schedules listed below.

Click on the vaccine name to see additional information for each vaccine.

Vaccine	Grade 6	Grade 9
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine (#101b)	Image
Meningococcal Quadrivalent Vaccine (#23b)		Image
Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccine (#18c)

Note: The vaccine schedules can change. Speak with your health care provider, or call 8-1-1 if you have questions. Immunization tables developed and reviewed by HealthLink BC , BC Ministry of Health , and BC Centre for Disease Control .

1. The HPV vaccine is provided free to girls and boys in grade 6 as a series of 2 doses given 6 months apart.

This PDF combines all of the information in the individual schedules listed below.

Click on the vaccine name to see additional information for each vaccine.

Note: The vaccine schedules can change. Speak with your health care provider, or call 8-1-1 if you have questions. Immunization tables developed and reviewed by HealthLink BC, BC Ministry of Health , and BC Centre for Disease Control.

1. High Risk Program: British Columbia provides many vaccines free of charge to some people. For example, those with chronic illness or weakened immune systems may receive free vaccinations. Contact your health care provider, or call 8-1-1 for more information.
2. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended for adults who have not been immunized. Some adults may not need the vaccine. If you had chickenpox or shingles disease after 1 year of age and had the disease before 2004, or it was confirmed by a lab test, you do not need the vaccine.
3. The hepatitis B vaccine is provided free to people born in 1980 or later who have never received the vaccine or have not received the recommended number of doses for their age.
4. The HPV vaccine is provided free to eligible adults 26 years of age and under.
5. Yearly influenza immunization is recommended and provided for free. It is especially recommended for people at high risk of serious illness from influenza and those able to spread influenza to those at high risk.
6. Anyone born in 1970 or later who has not been immunized or does not have immunity to measles, mumps and rubella should get 2 doses of the MMR vaccine.
7. The Men-C vaccine is provided free to people born before 2002 who are 24 years of age and under and did not receive a dose of the vaccine on or after their 10th birthday.
8. The meningococcal quadrivalent conjugate vaccine is provided free to people born in 2002 or later who are 24 years of age and under and did not receive a dose of the vaccine in adolescence.
9. The Td vaccine is given to adults who have not been immunized or whose immunization history is unknown. A booster dose of the vaccine is recommended every 10 years. If you have a serious cut or wound and are at high risk for a tetanus infection it may be recommended that you get the vaccine.
10. The Tdap vaccine is provided free to adults who were not immunized in childhood or whose immunization history is unknown. The vaccine is also recommended and provided free to people who are pregnant in every pregnancy, regardless of their immunization history. The vaccine is recommended, but not provided free, for adults 18 years of age and older who were immunized against pertussis in childhood but have not received a pertussis-containing vaccine in adulthood.

Some vaccines are given only once, while others require several doses over a period of time. In B.C., immunizations are given by a number of health care professionals including:

• Public health nurses
• Doctors
• Pharmacists (for ages 4 and up)
• Nurses in private travel and vaccine clinics
• Occupational health nurses at your workplace

Don't wait – book now. Call your primary care provider, local public health clinic or pharmacist (for ages 4 and up) to book a routine vaccination appointment for yourself or your children.

The immunization schedule is designed to protect your child early in life before they are likely to be exposed to serious diseases and when they are most vulnerable. This might mean having to get several vaccines at once, or in a short period of time.

The timing of immunizations is based on how a child's immune system responds to the vaccine at certain ages and how likely a child is to be exposed to a disease and have complications. Following the immunization schedule ensures your child is protected when they need it and in the most safe and effective way.

There is no need to delay immunizations because of colds or other minor illnesses, but when in doubt, discuss your concerns first with your health care provider.

You can also create a personal vaccine schedule.

It’s important to keep a record of any vaccines you or your family have received. You will be asked to provide your child’s immunization records when registering for daycare or school in British Columbia. Your child’s records are also logged in the Provincial Immunization Registry.

Collecting immunization information helps public health control outbreaks in schools by quickly identifying children who are not fully immunized and helps everyone get back to learning as soon as possible.

Find out more about the Vaccination Status Reporting Regulation