Students face up to 20-day suspension over vaccines

Only one principal reported an altercation with a parent on the second day of suspensions over immunization records on Thursday.

Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, suspensions can last up to 20 days.

This comes after nearly 3,000 elementary students were suspended from schools across the region on Wednesday after months of warning from public health officials.

On Wednesday, teachers and staff in several Catholic schools reported being berated and harassed by parents who question the legitimacy of the suspensions, which haven’t been enforced since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some parents also refused to pick up their children from school on Wednesday, who attended class despite the suspensions.

The immunization act authorizes public health departments to issue school suspension orders, which schools are required by law to enforce.

The act 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.

“Students are unfortunately suspended until their records or immunizations are updated,” said Catholic board spokesperson Lema Salaymeh.

“Once that happens, Region of Waterloo Public Health issues them a green slip, which rescinds the suspension order. We’re hoping that parents can secure bookings to update records and/or immunizations over the long weekend, so more students can return to the classroom on Tuesday.”

Parents were given months of notice before the suspensions were issued, with close to 28,000 students identified as having out-ofdate records back in November.

As of last week, that number had dropped to 6,000, with nearly half either getting their shots, or providing documentation they were scheduled to get them, before the start of school on Wednesday.

About 1,000 of the suspended students attend the Catholic board, and about 1,800 are enrolled at the Waterloo Region District School Board. This is the first time since the beginning of the pandemic the measure has been enforced. In 2019, Public Health issued more than 1,000 suspensions.

Teachers and staff in several Catholic schools reported being berated and harassed by parents who question the legitimacy of the suspensions