Exemptions

Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, your child can be exempted from immunization for medical reasons or due to conscience or religious belief.

For medical reasons

You must fill out a Statement of Medical Exemption form that has been signed by a physician or nurse practitioner and submit it to your local public health unit. It will indicate the reason for the exemption, such as:

• your child has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving the vaccine
• there is evidence of your child’s immunity to the disease, making further immunization unnecessary

For conscience or religious belief

For your child to be exempted due to conscience or religious belief, you must contact your local public health unit:

1. Complete an education session 

• Let your local public health unit (PHU) know you wish to have your child exempted from the required vaccines. 
• The PHU will:
  • advise you on the steps to take in completing a valid exemption, including watching the vaccine education video.

The video covers:

• basic information about immunization
• vaccine safety
• how immunization affects overall public health
• immunization law in Ontario

• answer any additional questions you have about vaccines or about the process for applying for an exemption
• provide you with a signed and dated Vaccine Education Certificate after you have watched the video 

2. Fill out a form

Complete a Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief form.

Once it’s complete, you must get it signed by a commissioner for taking affidavits in Ontario.

3. Make copies for your records

Make copies of your:

• Vaccine Education Certificate 
• signed Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief form 

You will need to submit the original versions.

It is important that you keep your copies because the ministry and local public health units do not keep records of your exemption documents.

4. Submit the originals 

Submit the original copies of your Vaccine Education Certificate and signed Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief form to your local public health unit. Contact them to find out how.