Ottawa Public Health issued suspension notices to 3,000 students this spring for out-of-date vaccination records

Toronto high school students suspended amid immunization crackdown

Approximately 3,000 seven- and 17-year-old students in Ottawa’s schools were suspended this year for out-of-date vaccination records, according to public health officials.

A student with an incomplete immunization record faces a 20-day suspension from school. The suspension is rescinded when a record of immunization or a medical exemption is provided to the health unit.

Ottawa Public Health reviewed the immunization records for students born in 2007 and 2017 this year as part of the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) surveillance.

During the 2024-25 school year, public health issued approximately 15,000 first notices to students and their families about out-of-date immunization records. Between February and May, OPH distributed approximately 9,000 second notices to parents and guardians, before 3,000 suspension orders were issued to students.

“Parents and guardians who received a second notice had another month to update the record before the suspension started. Suspensions are issued under ISPA and are always a last resort,” Ottawa Public Health said in an email to CTV News Ottawa.

“Ahead of any suspension, the focus is to ensure parents and guardians are aware of how to verify their records, get any missing routine vaccinations, and update their records with OPH. As the surveillance process for this school year has come to a close, OPH issued approximately 3,000 suspension orders on the first day of enforcement for students with incomplete immunization records.”

Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, children attending school in Ontario are required to be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and meningococcal disease. Children born in or after 2010 must also be vaccinated against varicella (chicken pox).

Two cases of the measles have been reported in Ottawa so far this year.

Ottawa Public Health says it was unable to provide updated information this week on immunization rates in schools due to an issue with the immunization data system.

“The Ministry of Health is actively working to resolve this issue, with a targeted resolution expected by the first week of July.”