More than 13,000 students could be suspended this September due to outdated immunization records, according to the Windsor Essex County Health Unit.
According to the Health Unit, the Student Immunization Act requires all Ontario students to be up to date on immunizations. They say public health units should maintain and review the immunization records of every student who attends school in their area and those who are not up to date can be suspended from school for up to 20 days.
As part of the work to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases, the Health Unit says they have recently completed a review of all high school students ’immunization records. At the moment, they say that there are 13,710 high school students with records considered incomplete. The Health Unit says that these students are either overwhelmed by one or more vaccines or have not submitted their updated form to the Health Unit.
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The Health Unit says email notices have been sent to affected students this week specifying what needed vaccines are missing from the student’s transcript and providing information on how to update immunization information with the Health Unit. Options for students and their families include:
1. Submission of up-to-date immunization records to WECHU:
- Secure online reports: https://immune.wechu.org
- Phone: 519-960-0231 or 1-800-265-5822 extension 1222 (free)
- Fax: 519-258-7288
2. Contact your healthcare provider for information and missing vaccines.
3. Book an appointment at a WECHU Immunization Clinic: WECHU offers daily clinics to the community and Health Unit offices by appointment only. Public health nurses will be available to update the student’s immunization record and / or administer vaccines against hepatitis B, HPV, and meningococcal disease if necessary. An appointment can be booked online at www.wechu.org/getimmunized or by calling 519-258-2146 Ext. 4500.
The Health Unit says students with incomplete immunization records at the start of the 2022/2023 school year (September) will receive a notice of suspension suspending them from school for up to 20 days.