NSHA release:

As you prepare your child for a healthy and successful 2024-2025 school year, here is some important
information from Public Health to help support you. With respiratory virus season approaching, an
increase in illnesses such as influenza and COVID-19 is expected. With that in mind, we wanted to
remind you of ways that you can prevent illness in you and your child and help stop the spread of
illnesses in your child’s school and the community.

• Stay up to date on your vaccines.
• Stay home, if possible, if you or your child are sick or have new symptoms of illness, even if
  they are mild.
• If you or your child are feeling ill and cannot stay home, consider wearing a mask when in
  public spaces and especially around those who may be at higher risk of developing serious
  illness.
• Encourage your child to practice regular hand hygiene by washing their hands with soap and
  water when available or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Encourage your children to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow so their
  germs are contained.
  
  More information about the seasonal COVID-19 and influenza vaccines will be announced in the
  coming weeks. When they become available in our province, we invite everyone in Nova Scotia to get
  both vaccines free of charge. These vaccines are safe and effective and can be given at the same time
  (sometimes referred to as ‘co-administration’).
  We are also seeing an increase in whooping cough (pertussis) in the Atlantic region and across
  Canada. Immunization is the most effective way to protect your children, family and community from
  this illness. We encourage you to check your and your child’s vaccine record by visiting
  www.VaxRecordNS.ca and ensuring your vaccinations are up to date. More information about
  whooping cough is available online at www.nshealth.ca/pertussis.
  The routine immunization schedule lists the free, publicly-funded vaccines that Nova Scotians are eligible for and when they should be received:
  
  https://novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/documents/RoutineImmunization-Schedules-for-Children-Youth-Adults.pdf
  
  Vaccines are available through your primary care provider, pharmacies, and local Public Health
  offices. More information is available at https://www.nshealth.ca/immunizations.
  
  Grade 7 students are eligible to receive the Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and
  Meningococcal vaccines, as well as a pertussis/tetanus/diphtheria booster, in school through Public Health’s School Immunization Program this fall. Students in grades 9 to 12 who missed these vaccines can still get them for free through their healthcare provider or by calling Public Health. Details about the program and school immunization calendars can be found online.
  
  Contact your local Public Health office, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit
  https://www.nshealth.ca/public-health for contact details and more information to keep your family healthy this fall.