More than 1,000 students suspended for incomplete immunization records

WATERLOO REGION — More than 1,000 elementary students in Waterloo Region were suspended from school Wednesday for incomplete immunization records.

The deadline for parents to ensure their child’s records were upto-date with Region of Waterloo Public Health was Tuesday afternoon. Students can return to classes when parents provide up-to-date records or children get overdue immunizations.

Public Health continues to offer immunization clinics in both its Cambridge and Waterloo offices. Find the list of walk-in clinics at www.regionofwaterloo.ca/ph.

Last fall, public health notified 8,679 parents that their children’s immunization records were not up-to-date. On March 7, public health sent 4,442 suspension orders to parents whose children still had incomplete immunization records.

On Wednesday, 1,021 students in public and Catholic schools were suspended.

The Immunization of School Pupils Act requires students to be immunized against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox (for those born after 2010) and meningococcal disease. Records of immunization must be provided to public health.

Parents can contact their family doctor to obtain immunization records and/or immunizations. Parents may call the region at 519-5754400 for more information.

For children who are immunized at public health or bring their update record to either the Cambridge or Waterloo offices this week, they will receive a blue sheet to return to school that day.

For those who update by phone or online, the school lists will be updated at the end of the business day and the student can return to school the following day.