Close to 3,000 children attending elementary school across Waterloo Region were suspended from school on Wednesday morning for not having up-to-date immunization records. The region suspended 2,969 students under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). For several months, the region has been reminding parents to get their children’s vaccinations up to date, including sending letters home warning that students’ records needed to be up to date or they would be suspended. In January, it was announced that 32,000 students did not have up-to-date records, with 22,000 being elementary students and 10,000 being high school students.
Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the medical officer of health, stated that progress had been made from the original 27,567 immunization notices sent to parents in November and December of 2023. Over 24,500 outdated vaccination records have been resolved since then, providing students with protection against serious and preventable diseases. High school students still have a few weeks to update their records before facing suspension. The ISPA mandates that students must have proof of vaccination records for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), and meningitis, which must be on file with public health.
Caregivers of suspended children will need to book an appointment at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines for clinics, which will be held in Cambridge and Waterloo on weekdays. Due to the high number of suspensions, there may be a delay in getting an appointment and returning the child to school. The region emphasizes that record submission and questions must be done in person to ensure immediate resolution. The last time suspensions over immunizations were issued was in 2019, when 1,032 students were suspended.
The region has been actively campaigning for children’s immunizations to be up to date, with efforts including sending letters home to parents and issuing warnings about potential suspensions. The focus has been on ensuring that students are protected against serious and preventable diseases through vaccination. Despite making progress in resolving outdated vaccination records, a significant number of students still required updates, leading to the suspensions. High school students have a deadline to update their records before facing suspension, as mandated by the ISPA.
Parents and caregivers are urged to take immediate action to get their children’s vaccination records up to date to avoid suspension from school. The suspension of nearly 3,000 elementary students highlights the importance of immunization compliance for public health and the well-being of students. The repercussions of not having up-to-date immunization records are significant, with students being temporarily removed from school until their records are in compliance. Public health clinics are being held to facilitate the updating of records and ensure that students can return to school as soon as possible.
