Guelph elementary school students face possible suspension without vaccinations

Elementary school students in Guelph, Ont., could be suspended if their vaccination records aren’t up to date as of next week.

According to Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health, nearly 2,000 students have yet to receive a vaccine or update their records for mandatory vaccinations.

If they fail to do so, they’ll be suspended on March 19.

Rita Isley, vice-president of Community Health and Wellness and chief nursing officer, said they’ve since seen a significant uptick in vaccine record submissions.

Isley said notices have been sent out to students and families since January.

“We did send a notice out to parents last week and we have seen a significant increase in the number of people calling us with vaccine records, and/or coming into our office or connecting with us in a variety of ways to either get the vaccine or to provide their information to us, “Isley said.

She said they started sending notices to high schools before suspending under 400 students; a small handful remain suspended until the end of this week.

Isley said public health isn’t enforcing vaccinations but rather enforcing the communication of vaccination status for families and students.

Students in Ontario are required to get mandatory vaccines for several illnesses under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, including measles and mumps.

Isley said students can be exempt from vaccination due to medical or religious beliefs.

Students will have to have a physician sign off on the medical exemption, which would be on file so public health is aware of their vaccination status and officials would be able to take action to protect them in the event of a school outbreak.

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If individuals choose not to get vaccinated or let public health officials know about their vaccination status due to religious or philosophical beliefs, she said students would have to fill out a conscientious exemption form.

“Those individuals would need to take a course online, available throughout website, have an affidavit signed and notarized, and then they would bring that information to us,” she said.

Once received, Isley said that exemption form would also be on file so public health officials could take action to protect those individuals in the event of a school outbreak as well. In both circumstances, as long as either exemption form is on file, those individuals wouldn’t be suspended.

She said there is still time to submit your information.

“There is still lots of time to get your information to us or to call us and have a conversation because we also appreciate and understand that there are some circumstances where families may not be able to meet that requirement of March 19,” she said.

You can book a vaccination appointment online or go to the Guelph or Fergus walk-in clinics.

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