Ottawa resumes suspensions for overdue student vaccine records after two-year pause

Thousands of Ottawa students could face suspensions for out-of-date vaccination records as the local health unit resumes enforcement after a two-year pause.

Ottawa Public Health says students born in 2007 and 2017 whose immunization records are out-of-date could face up to 20 days suspension.

A report presented to the Ottawa Board of Health on Monday says about 14,500 students in that cohort, or just under two-thirds, are behind on their immunization records.

The health unit says it will first send out notices to families in December with information on how to get their child vaccinated and update their records, before issuing suspension notices in the new year if they are still out-of-date.

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Before the pandemic, the report says about 17 per cent of students started the year with overdue records, coming down to five per cent by the end of the year, once the health unit sent out notices and immunization information.

But last year, 66 per cent of 7- and 17-year-old students who had their records checked were overdue for vaccines to start the year, only coming down to 38 per cent once the health unit had completed its surveillance efforts.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told the board Monday the health unit needs immunization records information to determine what children may be at-risk in the event of an outbreak.

“The goal with this immunization surveillance is to promote population level immunization coverage rates that protect individuals and school populations,” she said.

Students in Ontario must be vaccinated against several diseases, including polio, measles, whooping cough and tetanus.

Studies have noted how COVID-19 related disruptions to routine immunization programs, such as school-based clinics, have contributed to a drop in student vaccination rates.

Others have also pointed to how the pandemic drove an increase in vaccine hesitancy fuelled by misinformation circulating on social media.