Ontario schools begin suspending students who aren’t fully vaccinated
The issue of unvaccinated students in Ontario schools has reached a critical point, with suspensions being issued to those who are not fully vaccinated amidst the ongoing spread of measles. Toronto Public Health has identified approximately 10,000 students who are not up to date on their vaccinations, with an initial group of 173 Grade 11 students facing suspension starting on Tuesday. A total of 574 students have been sent suspension orders, which will continue to be rolled out across Toronto high schools until May. Students have the opportunity to avoid suspension by providing proof of vaccination or obtaining a valid exemption.
Dr. Vinita Dubey, Toronto’s associate medical officer of health, anticipates that compliance will exceed 90 per cent once all notices are sent out. She highlighted that current Grade 11 students missed out on school-based vaccinations in Grade 7 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of Toronto Public Health is to help students catch up on their vaccinations and prevent them from missing school by offering support to enhance immunization coverage across the city.
In Ottawa, approximately 15,000 notices of incomplete immunization records were distributed to students in mid-January, leading to suspensions taking place from March to May. Similarly, in Waterloo, over 1,600 students were suspended last week.
The Immunization of School Pupils Act mandates that students must be vaccinated against various diseases, including measles, whooping cough, and tetanus. However, the majority of individuals in the province still rely on paper records to track their vaccinations. The Ontario Immunization Advisory Committee has been advocating for the province to establish an electronic immunization registry to replace the current paper-based system. Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, co-chair of the committee, emphasized that the lack of an electronic registry has resulted in numerous suspensions and stressed the importance of having a digital system in place.
Dr. Kumanan Wilson, based in Ottawa, has been advocating for the transition to a digital system since 2011 and believes that the measles outbreak may serve as the catalyst for the province to make the shift. The outbreak, which has infected 661 individuals in Ontario, primarily unvaccinated children, underscores the need for high vaccination coverage to prevent the spread of contagious diseases like measles.
Wilson highlighted that gaps in vaccination coverage can lead to outbreaks, emphasizing the importance of accurate record-keeping. He noted that the current immunization data collected by the province is primarily focused on school-aged children, leaving a gap in comprehensive data for infants to six-year-olds. This lack of appropriate record-keeping could be a contributing factor to the student suspensions.
The measles outbreak in Ontario has garnered international attention, with health officials in New York issuing a travel advisory last week warning about the spread of measles in the province. The advisory stated, “Measles is only a car ride away,” emphasizing the need for vigilance in preventing the further spread of the disease.
