February 23 is National Kids and Vaccines Day

TORONTO, Feb. 7, 2023 /CNW/ - Building on the success of the first Kids and Vaccines Day in 2022, Children's Healthcare Canada (CHC) and ScienceUpFirst have declared February 23, 2023 as National Kids and Vaccines Day 2023. This day will bring together industry, influencers, and experts from across disciplines to help move the needle (pun intended) and promote vaccine confidence, with a particular focus on routine vaccinations to protect Canada's 8 million children and youth.

The pandemic has created several barriers to keeping up with routine healthcare needs including childhood immunizations.

• 1 in 4 kids in Canada missed their scheduled shots in 2021.
• Recent data from Public Health Ontario shows:
• Only 17% of 12 year-olds in Ontario were vaccinated against hepatitis B in the 2020 to 2021 school year, compared to 67% the school year before.
• Vaccines against human papillomavirus, or HPV, in Ontario plunging to 0.8 per cent in 2021, compared with 58 per cent in 2019.
• Meningococcal vaccines in Ontario fell to about 17% in 2019 from 80% in 2019.

All of this data shows that kids are not being protected against many of the diseases we've been immunizing against for decades.

To bring attention to the day, ScienceUpFirst and Children's Healthcare Canada will host a free national Kids and Vaccines Town Hall event on Thursday, February 23 at 5 pm pst/8 pm est/9 pm ast. This live event will answer questions from parents, caregivers and educators about the importance and safety of routine vaccinations. 

 The panel of experts include:

• Dr. Cora Constantinescu
• Dr. Javed Alloo
• Dr. Danielle Paes (CPhA)
• Patricia Laforce
• The event will be moderated by Dr. Katharine Smart, Pediatrician and Past President, Canadian Medical Association

Organizations and influential Canadians are invited to participate in the day's events through their own efforts, and by promoting the programs and resources currently being planned using the #KidsVaccinesDay hashtag. For assets and information visit the National Kids Vaccines Day website.

Quotes:

"Congratulations, Children's Healthcare Canada and ScienceUpFirst in delivering the second National Kids and Vaccines Day to promote the importance of routine vaccination.  On this day, I encourage everyone to share credible information on social media about the benefits of vaccination for children and encourage others to get involved.  Vaccines save lives and together, we can help make sure that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and protected from serious and potentially life-threatening diseases."

-  The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health

"So many factors have contributed to the decline in routine immunizations for kids - from lock downs, to limited public health resources, to skepticism caused by misinformation. This is why organizations like ScienceUpFirst are important. We're thrilled to be working with Children's Healthcare Canada to reach parents and caregivers with the best available science so they can make the science-informed decisions and keep their children protected."

-  Magda Byma, Director, ScienceUpFirst

 "Children's Healthcare Canada is proud to partner with ScienceUpFirst to host the second annual National Kids and Vaccines Day, on February 23, 2023. This event provides a timely opportunity for parents and caregivers to connect with child health experts to learn more about the importance of childhood vaccines and their role protecting children from serious infectious diseases, like COVID-19, measles and polio. Together, we can build vaccine confidence for Canada's kids.

-  Emily Gruenwoldt, President and CEO, Children's Healthcare Canada

About ScienceUpFirst

ScienceUpFirst is an initiative of the Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC) that works with a collective of independent scientists, researchers, health care experts and science communicators to share the best available science in creative ways to stop the spread of health and science misinformation.

The Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC) is a national network of informal science learning organizations including science centres, Museums, zoos, aquariums, and more. As well as supporting our membership of science and innovation champions, we spearhead the ScienceUpFirst and GenAction initiatives. These nationally-recognized initiatives, along with our growing network of members work together to build a thriving science and innovation culture in Canada.

About Children's Healthcare Canada

Children's Healthcare Canada is a national association serving healthcare delivery organizations caring for children and youth across the continuum of care. We welcome brave ideas and fresh thinking to improve children's health and healthcare in Canada. We work hand-in-hand with members to ensure Canada's 8 million children are not an afterthought in health research, policy, or planning. Our members have access to educational offerings on emerging priorities in children's health, developed by child health leaders, for child health leaders. We facilitate a series of national networks of child health champions from front-line professionals, health system leaders, researchers, policy makers, and family partners. Together, we share common health system challenges and innovative solutions, leading practices, and advocacy efforts.

SOURCE Canadian Association of Science Centres