Vaccination notices going out to students

Compiled by Staff

Published Jan. 29 2019

Notices are going out this week to about 5600 students in the area covered by the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit whose vaccination records are not up to date.

The notices tell families that if the records are not updated or a valid exemption given students will be suspended from school starting in April. Exemptions are given based on medical conscience or religious grounds.

Families are encouraged to check their child’s records for missing vaccines. Go to www.ontario.ca/page/vaccines-children-school for a full listing of what is required.

If missing vaccinations are found contact your health-care provider or call the health unit.

Then go to Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) (http://hkpr.icon.ehealthontario.ca) to easily update manage and track vaccination records online. For more information call the health unit at 1-866-888-4577 ext. 1507 or visit www.hkpr.on.ca.

“We urge families who receive a health unit notice to take a moment and review their child’s vaccination record. Visiting the ICON website is the quickest and easiest way to update records to avoid any problems” says Marianne Rock manager in the health protection division. “In many cases students have all their vaccines but the records just need updating with the health unit.”

In Ontario health units must enforce the Immunization of School Pupils Act. This law requires all students attending school to be fully immunized against diphtheria tetanus polio measles mumps rubella pertussis (whooping cough) varicella (chickenpox) and meningococcal disease. If any vaccine is missing students can be suspended from school.

“While it is not the health unit’s intent to suspend students there is a requirement for all students to be vaccinated” Rock notes. “Vaccines are free safe and effective and help protect young people against very serious diseases.”

In 2018 hundreds of suspension notices were issued to local students but in the end all vaccination records were updated.