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10 Immunization Records Information System

Immunization Records Information System (IRIS)

Original source: Immunization Record Information System, [Public Health Unit]
Distributed by: Public Health Unit
Suggested citation (see Data Citation Notes): IRIS [years], Extracted: [date]

Data Notes

  • Ontario health units monitor the vaccination status of children within their jurisdiction under the terms of the Day Nurseries Act1, the Immunization of School Pupils Act2, and in accordance with the Ontario Public Health Standards 20083
  • Children must be immunized as recommended by the local medical officer of health before and throughout attendance at a licensed or private-home day care facilities or have a record of medical exemption or statement of conscience or religious belief on file with the local Medical Officer of Health.1
  • Children must be complete for age for mandatory childhood vaccines (measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, polio and tetanus) before and throughout attendance at school; or have a record of medical exemption or statement of conscience or religious belief on file with the local Medical Officer of Health.2
  • Child/student vaccination records and exemptions are maintained by each health unit using the Immunization Records Information System (IRIS); a DOS based system developed by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and in operation since 1994. 
  • In addition to the mandatory vaccines, public health units can record other routine childhood vaccines in IRIS (e.g., pertussis, hepatitis B, varicella, meningococcal disease, haemophilus influenzae B, pneumococcal conjugate, human papillomavirus).
  • Parents must report information for vaccines covered by legislation and administered at a doctor's office to public health. Public health units send out letters to parents of children in licensed child care facilities and in schools for this information and can suspend from school students who do not provide vaccination information or a statement of exemption. Vaccination information for pre-school children not in licensed facilities is incomplete.
  • Data for mandatory vaccines should be complete for children by age 7 years since documentation of the 4 to 6 year booster (or exemption) is required by Grade 2.
  • Demographic, parent/guardian contact and school information for school-aged children is imported into IRIS from the Boards of Education and private schools within the boundaries of each health unit. The quality of demographic information in IRIS is largely dependent on the quality this data and the import process. This data is used by IRIS as the denominator for generating vaccine coverage reports.
  • The criteria used to generate vaccine coverage reports from IRIS should be examined carefully before making comparisons across health units. IRIS vaccine coverage reports may report children who are complete for age based on a specified date or based on reference to the child's date of birth. Reports are based on data available at the time the report is generated. Any updates to the data will change the output of subsequent reports.
  • Rates and proportions based on counts less than 5 must be suppressed.

References and Resources

  1. Day Nurseries Act - R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 262 . Available at: http://www.search.e-laws.gov.on.ca
  2. Immunization of School Pupils Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.1. Available at: http://www.search.e-laws.gov.on.ca
  3. Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Ontario Public Health Standards 2008. Toronto, ON: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2008. Available at: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/program/pubhealth/oph_standards/ophs/progstds/pdfs/ophs_2008.pdf
  4. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Branch. IRIS User’s Guide. Toronto, ON: Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, November 4, 2008. Available at: Public Health Ontario Portal under Public Health Applications.
  5. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Branch. IRIS Administrator’s Guide. Toronto, ON: Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, November 4, 2008. Available at: Public Health Ontario Portal under Public Health Applications.
  6. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Branch. IRIS Immunization Logic. Toronto, ON: Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, June 2008. Available at: Public Health Ontario Portal under Public Health Applications.
  7. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Branch. IRIS Quick Reference Guide, Document Version: 1.0. Toronto, ON: Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, October 2006. Available at: Public Health Ontario Portal under Public Health Applications.
This page last updated: March 16, 2009
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