1,428 Waterloo Region high school students suspended over out-of-date vaccination records

Nearly 1,500 Waterloo Region high school students have been suspended over out-of-date vaccination records.

Nearly 1,500 Waterloo Region high school students have been suspended over out-of-date vaccination records.

Suspension orders issued in April, went into effect Wednesday. At the time the suspension orders were sent to families, 6,819 secondary school students had out-of-date records, that number has now dropped significantly to 1,428.

Earlier this spring, 2,269 elementary school students were suspended for the same reason.

Provincial legislation requires all elementary and secondary school students to be vaccinated against diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis, unless they have a valid exemption.

“The vaccines required under the act help to prevent serious infections and are important to maintain teenagers’ health and protect them from disease,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health for the Region of Waterloo said in a news release. “Reporting your vaccines or submitting an exemption will ensure a quick resolution of the suspension.”

Public health did not enforce vaccination requirements during the pandemic. The last time secondary school students were suspended for out-of-date records was in 2019, when 517 secondary students were handed suspensions.