Today marks an important day for families across Waterloo Region with students in secondary schools, as suspensions have officially taken effect for anyone without an up-to-date vaccination record.
According to the Region of Waterloo, 704 secondary students have been held out of classes, suspended under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).
“Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect your child from serious illness,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Medical Officer of Health, Region of Waterloo.
“Reporting your child’s vaccines and keeping them up to date helps to protect your child and the community from preventable illnesses.”
The ISPA requires all elementary and secondary school students to have their vaccination records updated, with the region saying that students who have been suspended can return to school “once their vaccination records are up to date, or a valid exemption is on file.”
Those routine vaccinations work to protect against various preventable diseases and illnesses, including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningitis, pertussis (whooping cough), and varicella (chickenpox).
To return to school:
- If your child has received the required vaccines, report them to Public Health at regionofwaterloo.ca/VaccineReporting
- If your child needs vaccines, an exemption, or an in-person record review, book an appointment with Public Health at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines. Please note that walk-ins are not available.
- You may also access vaccines through your health care provider. Please call ahead to confirm vaccine availability.
- If you need support or have questions, call Public Health at 519-575-4400. Wait times may be longer than usual due to high call volumes.
Letters requesting those vaccination records were sent out to almost 4,400 students who had incomplete vaccination records back in December.
Suspension orders were mailed in early March to 3,258 students who still maintained out-of-date records.
Those suspensions are the first round here in Waterloo Region, with elementary suspensions set to follow suit next month.
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