Starting this year, Grade 5 students won’t be immunized for HPV or Hepatitis B.

That’s because Alberta Health has implemented a new schedule, moving the immunizations to Grade 6 students and only requiring two doses instead of the previous three doses.

Deputy Medical Officer with Alberta Health Dr Kristin Klein explains why they’re making this decision.

“A number of advisory bodies have recommended that a two-dose schedule is equivalent in terms of protecting the individual as a three-dose schedule. It’s obviously less costly and less disruptive for the student to have two doses as opposed to three. It was then considered by the Alberta Advisory Committee on Immunization who made a recommendation to support the change.”

As current Grade 6 students already received the vaccinations last year in Grade 5, the move to immunize those in Grade 6 won’t come until the 2019-2020 school year.

The immunizations for Grade 9 students won’t be affected.

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