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Parents in Quebec are being urged to be vigilant against the spread of tuberculosis (TB) amid concerns an earlier promise to provide inoculations had been misunderstood.
One theory is that the DTaP (tuberculosis treatment programme) had prompted misinformation about the vaccination itself.
Officials have now put new provisions in place to ensure every child receives the DTaP injection within a week.
“We want to start with the most vulnerable,” said Health Minister Gaetan Barrette.
He said he would attend a vaccination fair at the Jean-Pierre Roy Elementary School on Wednesday to help spread the word about protecting kids against tuberculosis.
Many children were learning about TB for the first time
The TB Therapeutic Centre says that a gradual rollout has been in place since 2011, but the centre has been keen to emphasise that children needing the vaccination had been identified years ago.
Initial immunisation started in 2011 when tens of thousands of children were given the DTaP.
Now, younger children are becoming eligible for the vaccination, with plans to vaccinate all kindergarteners by 2015.
Those children may be vaccinated a day or two earlier than the older children.
Some people have suggested an ulterior motive for some of the perceived confusion.
The child’s presence at school has been ruled out as a possible vector for spreading the illness.