Secondary school suspensions take effect today

Waterloo Region – This morning, 1428 secondary school students with out-of-date vaccination records have been suspended by the Region of Waterloo Public Health under the Immunization of School Pupils Act.

The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires all elementary and secondary school students to have proof of vaccination for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis. Records of these vaccinations or a valid exemption must be on file with Public Health.

“The vaccines required under the act help to prevent serious infections and are important to maintain teenagers’ health and protect them from disease,” says Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Region of Waterloo’s Medical Officer of Health. “Reporting your vaccines or submitting an exemption will ensure a quick resolution of the suspension.”

If your student is suspended:

• Book an in-person appointment at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines to resolve the suspension.
  • Clinics are open at 99 Regina St. South, Waterloo and 30 Christopher Dr., Cambridge, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed from 1 to 2 p.m.).
  • Appointments are currently open until May 6 and will continue to be added as needed.
• If you have scheduled a vaccine appointment with your primary health care provider or Public Health after May 1, please report your upcoming appointment online.
  • Once we have processed your form, the student’s suspension will be resolved. Due to high volumes, it may take one to two business days to process submissions. Once resolved, you will receive an email and the student can return to school the following day.
• If the student has received the vaccine elsewhere, please report the vaccine record online.
  • It may take one to two business days for us to update our records and resolve the suspension.

If you need help booking an appointment or have questions, call 519-883-2020. Due to high call volumes, your call may be managed by an automated response service.

Background

During the pandemic, Public Health saw a decline in vaccine coverage rates in school-aged children.

The last time ISPA was enforced in Waterloo Region was in 2019 with approximately 517 secondary students suspended at that time.

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