For best protection against disease, your child should get vaccinated on time, starting at 2 months of age, and follow the recommended schedule as closely as possible.

Why is it important to follow the schedule?

• Vaccines work best when given on time.
• The immunization schedule is designed to protect your child early in life before they are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. Infants and children are at greater risk for these diseases because their immune system is not developed enough to be able to fight off serious infections.
• Some vaccines are given as combination vaccines (vaccines that contain more than one vaccine in a single shot), and some are given individually. Combination vaccines are safe and provide the same protection as vaccines given individually, but with fewer shots.
• As your child gets older, the protection they received from certain vaccines when they were younger can wear off. To build up your child’s immune system, some vaccines may need to be given more than once. These are often called “booster doses.”

Learn about the Grade 6 and 9 school immunization programs here.

Additional Resources:

To get the facts about how vaccines work and why vaccination is the best way to protect your child’s health, visit;

• A Parent’s Guide to Vaccination (Public Health Agency of Canada)

Get your questions answered about the benefits and potential risks of immunizing your child to help you make the immunization decision, visit;

• Vaccines for children: Deciding to vaccinate (Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Read. Learn. Understand. A Parent’s Decision to Immunize (Immunize Canada)

For tips to help reduce the stress, anxiety and pain when it comes to vaccinations, visit;

• Reduce the Pain of Vaccination in Kids and Teens: A Guide for Parents - Immunize Canada
• Pain Management During Immunizations for Children - Immunize Canada
• CARD for Kids and Adolescents - Immunize Canada

As you age, the protection from vaccines you received as a child can wear off and your risk for certain diseases increases. Some diseases, such as shingles, are more common in adults which is why additional vaccines are needed.

Your adult immunization requirements depend on your age, job, health conditions, travel plans and vaccine history because these factors may put you at risk for new and different diseases. It is important to stay up to date with Yukon’s Routine Immunization Schedule to ensure you are getting the best protection against diseases at the safest and most effective ages and stages. 

The following vaccines are routinely recommended for all adults at certain points in their life. To determine which publicly-funded vaccines you are eligible to receive, visit the Immunization schedules page.

• Tetanus and Diphtheria (Td) vaccine
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine
• Shingles vaccine
• Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
• Influenza (flu) vaccine
• COVID-19 vaccine

You may also need other vaccines depending on travel plans, health conditions and lifestyle. Talk to your healthcare provider about which vaccines are recommended for you.

Additional Resources:

Learn why vaccination is important for adults too:

• Not just for kids: An adult guide to vaccination - The Public Health Agency of Canada's guide
• Questions & Answers About Adult Immunization - Immunize Canada

Pregnancy

Vaccination is an important part of pregnancy. Make sure your routine vaccinations are up to date to:

• keep you and your baby healthy and
• protect against infections that can lead to serious pregnancy complications like birth defects or miscarriages.

Before pregnancy

• Ensure your MMR immunization is complete to protect from measles, mumps and rubella.
• If possible, you should avoid pregnancy for 1 month following MMR immunization.

During pregnancy

All mothers should receive the following vaccines.

• inactivated influenza;
• tetanus;
• diphtheria; and
• pertussis (Tdap) vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine). 

The Tdap and influenza vaccines are safe to receive during pregnancy because:

• they are inactivated vaccines; and
• do not contain any live bacteria or viruses.

Additional resources:

• Q&A on Tdap Vaccination Against Pertussis (Whooping Cough) During Pregnancy in Canada - (SOGC)

Other high-risk people

People can be at high-risk for certain vaccine-preventable diseases. This includes:

• immunocompromised people;
• healthcare workers; and
• individuals new to Canada.

Speak to your healthcare provider to discuss vaccines you may be eligible to receive.

Travelling to other countries can increase your risk for several diseases that are rarely found in Canada. Getting your travel vaccines on time will protect the health of yourself, and others by preventing the spread of diseases when you’re back home. Discuss your travel plans with your healthcare provider to determine which vaccines you may require. Ideally, consulting your healthcare provider 8 to 12 weeks ahead of your departure allows enough time for optimal immunization schedules to be completed.

Travel health notices are posted by the Government of Canada for Canadians travelling abroad. 

Whitehorse Travel Health Clinic

• Pre travel health consultations and travel vaccines are available by appointment at the Whitehorse Travel Health Clinic.
• Appointments can be made by visiting www.whitehorsetravelclinic.ca or by calling 867-333-6566.