to get an exemption."

In Ontario, the document is known as Affidavit 4897-64E, or a Statement of Conscience or Religious Belief.

New Brunswick's Policy 706 form is known as an Immunization Exemption Form for School Entry.

A right to quarantine

Since 1982, New Brunswick's reporting and diseases regulation has required proof of immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella, as a condition for admitting a child to school.

Manitoba previously required vaccination only for measles, a spokesperson with Manitoba Health said. But all vaccinations are now "voluntary," though the province still recommends young children get their shots.

"However, if a measles case occurs in a school, a child who is not immunized may be excluded from school for a period of five to 21 days post-exposure, if deemed necessary," the spokesperson said.

Thewould be meted out by the principal and superintendent on a case-by-case basis.

The New Brunswick policy states that "it is essential" that the principal's office keep records of which children have not been immunized, "since these students may have to be excluded from school in the event of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease."

The Canadian picture

Although Unicef put Canada near the bottom of industrialized nations in 2013, with an estimated 84 per cent vaccination rate, the federal government maintains that about 95 per cent of the Canadian population is immunized.

Aside from Ontario and New Brunswick, no other provinces have mandatory immunization policies, and implementation is up to the individual provinces.

This patchwork of policies also means the breadth of immunization programs varies from province to province. For example, Newfoundland