Waterloo region reminds secondary students to update vaccination records as suspension deadline nears

John Dalusong · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 4:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The Region of Waterloo is reminding secondary schoolhouse students with suspension orders to update their vaccination records by May 7, oregon beryllium suspended from attending classes. 

"Suspension orders and accusation connected however to instrumentality corrective measures were mailed to affected secondary schoolhouse students successful mid-March," said Lynsey Slupeiks, manager of firm communications for Waterloo region, successful a merchandise sent retired Monday.

Vaccination requirements are portion of the Immunization of School Pupils Act, which "requires each simple and secondary schoolhouse students to person impervious of these vaccinations oregon a valid exemption connected record with Public Health," the merchandise said. 

Measles and vaccination

"Routine vaccinations supply extortion against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningitis, pertussis (whooping cough), and varicella (chickenpox)," Slupeiks said.

Measles, successful particular, has been a nationalist wellness interest successful Ontario since precocious past year.

On April 24, Public Health Ontario reported that "a full of 1,020 radical person had measles since the province's outbreak began past October." The study does not bespeak however galore of the cases are "active oregon communicable."

Sarah Wilson, a aesculapian epidemiologist astatine Public Health Ontario, said that the state is seeing 100 cases per week, which she describes arsenic "100 cases excessively many."  

Public Health Ontario's study said galore of the caller cases are successful southwestern Ontario, with 3 quarters of the cases affecting infants, children, and teens.

David Aoki, the manager of infectious diseases and Chief Nursing Officer for Waterloo region, says vaccines support schools and children harmless amidst the on-going measles outbreak.

"It's precise important to enactment up to day and marque definite that you're not bringing perchance an corruption successful the school, oregon not getting an corruption portion you're successful the school," helium said.

Suspension orders: Elementary and Secondary

Slupeiks said Public Health sent retired 7,077 notices to secondary students with outdated vaccination records backmost successful January. 

A full of 5,032 suspension orders were issued successful mid-March. Approximately 2,380 secondary students were inactive not up to day arsenic of April 24.

As for simple students, Waterloo portion "issued astir 9,000 suspension orders to simple schoolhouse children who don't person up-to-date vaccination records" backmost successful February.

On April 2, 1,624 simple students were suspended. 

Aoki says arsenic of April 24, lone 70 simple students were inactive suspended.

Valid exemptions from vaccination requirement

Aoki said that portion vaccines are "very effectual against the diseases that they vaccinate for," determination are circumstantial instances wherever receiving vaccination whitethorn not beryllium appropriate.

One of these situations is simply a aesculapian exemption. 

"If your doc feels there's a aesculapian crushed wherefore getting a vaccine is not imaginable astatine this time, whether it beryllium due to the fact that of medicine you're taking, a aesculapian condition, a past reaction, past your doc tin supply a aesculapian exemption and nonstop it to Public Health," Aoki said. 

"Then there's what we telephone a connection of conscience oregon philosophical event," helium added. This exemption is disposable to parents who consciousness that their values oregon beliefs are against vaccinations. 

Aoki said parents whitethorn person their children exempted from vaccinations aft completing a "short [virtual] acquisition session."  

Regardless of the benignant of exemption, students volition person to study said exemption earlier May 8. 

What to bash next

Slupeiks reminds secondary students with suspension orders who already person updated vaccine records to study vaccines they person received to the region's vaccine website.

If vaccines are needed, students whitethorn either publication an assignment with their health-care provider, oregon astatine a nationalist wellness clinic. Those who take to get their vaccines via their health-care providers are required to study their vaccination to nationalist wellness erstwhile vaccinated.

Students who take to marque appointments with nationalist wellness volition person to publication their vaccination appointments online. Vaccination appointments are disposable astatine 3 locations: 

• 150 Main Street successful Cambridge.
• 20 Weber Street successful Kitchener.
• 99 Regina Street South successful Waterloo.

For students who booked vaccination appointments aft the May 7 deadline, they are required to notify nationalist wellness of said appointments to person a impermanent exemption connected their grounds to forestall suspension. 

Students who person already reported vaccine records but person not yet received confirmation, arsenic good arsenic those who received confirmation from public wellness that they volition not beryllium suspended bash not person to bash thing else. 

The deadline to taxable "up-to-date vaccination records, notification of an upcoming vaccination appointment, oregon a valid exemption" to nationalist wellness is connected May 7 astatine 4:30 pm. 

Suspensions instrumentality effect connected May 8.

For immoderate questions, students and parents whitethorn sojourn the Region of Waterloo Public Health website.