Hundreds of kids with incomplete immunization records suspended
Incomplete immunization records led to 578 youngsters being suspended Wednesday from elementary schools across Windsor and Essex County.
“These are students with incomplete or out-of-date immunization records,” said Stacy Manzerolle, manager of the healthy schools department for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. “They may be missing a booster shot or there may be missing information from their records.” The families of youngsters — who range from the levels of senior kindergarten to Grade 5 — started receiving notification letters from the health unit dating back to May, she said. Students can be suspended up to 20 days. “Students with out-of-date records received a series of notices,” Manzerolle said. “They were informed if they did not meet the requirements that students would be suspended when they got to school today. We tried to provide lots of time for people to ask questions and find out ways to meet their child’s needs.”
There are nine immunizations required. They include pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and meningococcal disease. Proof of chicken-pox vaccine is required for any child born after 2010.
The heath unit has allocated increased staff and nurses to be made available this week for families of suspended students to quickly meet the requirements — whether it be straightening out a shortfall in their immunization records or visiting the health unit to receive the required booster shots, Manzerolle said.
“We are here to help,” she said. Meeting the immunization standards has been a requirement for families dating back to provincial legislation that was first introduced in 1990, she said.
“Our mandate is to review the records and ensure children and infants have received their vaccines for preventable diseases,” Manzerolle said.
In terms of enforcing the suspensions, the role of schools under the legislation is to co-operate with the local medical officer of health, said Sharon Pyke, superintendent of education for the Greater Essex County District School Board. “The health unit determines who received the notices,” she said. “We help support them with voice messages and information (about deadlines) on our website. Some of our principals even take time to speak directly with families so they understand what this is about. “We want to make sure we do whatwecantohelppeoplecomply with this. In some cases, it’s just a situation where the family doctors just need to send the immunization records to the health unit.” Anyone with issues or questions regarding suspended students due to immunization issues, can call the health unit at 519-258-2146 ext. 1222. The health unit’s hours of operation are between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.