{
  "id": 4925885,
  "title": "Check vaccinations before heading back to school: chief public health officer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/check-vaccinations-before-heading-back-to-school-chief-public-health-4925885",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-01T19:45:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CityNews",
    "slug": "citynews",
    "url": "https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/09/01/check-vaccinations-before-heading-back-to-school-chief-public-health-officer/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, is advising parents to ensure their children's routine vaccinations are up-to-date before they return to school. In an interview, Dr. Reimer stated that measles is still circulating across the country, and misinformation about vaccines is prevalent online. The measles immunization rate among two-year-olds stands at around 85 per cent, which is below the 95 per cent threshold required for herd immunity. Although the current national measles outbreak has shown a decline in infection rates, unvaccinated children remain at risk since the virus is highly transmissible and can be brought into the country by travelers. Most provinces have declared the outbreak over, but recent cases have been reported in Manitoba.\n\nAccording to the Public Health Agency of Canada, children should receive two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine – the first at 12 to 15 months and the second at 18 months or around the time they start school. Dr. Reimer recommends that parents verify their child's vaccination records and contact a primary-care provider or their local public health unit if they cannot locate the records. She acknowledges the challenges parents face in navigating misinformation online and emphasizes the importance of accessing reliable health advice from trusted sources, such as public health agencies, medical associations, and family doctors or nurse practitioners. Dr. Reimer also highlights the need for widespread community trust in these sources to ensure accurate information reaches parents. The majority of parents who have delayed vaccinations for their children, she believes, are not anti-vaccine but rather overwhelmed by competing priorities and finding time for preventive care.",
  "summary": "TORONTO — Canada's chief public health officer is urging parents to check that routine childhood vaccinations are up-to-date as kids head back to school.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Check vaccinations before heading back to school: chief public health officer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/check-vaccinations-before-heading-back-to-school-chief-public-health",
        "published": "2026-09-01T19:45:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}