Thousands of students across the health unit regions covering Northumberland and Quinte need vaccination records updated, say public health officials.
Calls to area communities, letters to the families and the like started going out earlier this month across the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit region – which includes Northumberland, Haliburton and Kawartha – and through Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Meanwhile, area officials have also recently been echoing the call for childhood vaccinations as measles outbreaks rise, urging families to exercise caution if travelling during March break.
In the HKPR region, about 3,600 student immunization records require updating, and in the HPE area, about 4,900 students’ vaccination records are incomplete, according to public health March reports.
Students who have incomplete records should receive notices, which include details about suspension dates if records aren’t updated or families don’t provide valid exemptions, explained public health staff.
Public health is mandated around student vaccinations through the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA.)
In HKPR, staff mailed out first notices to parents with kids in kindergarten, grades 2 and 4 to 8 as of March 4. Children who are overdue for required immunizations under the ISPA and who do not have a valid exemption on record are at risk of suspension.
“Suspension orders will be sent on April 29, with implementation of suspensions beginning May 13,” noted HKPR staff.
Officials such as Marianne Rock, manager of the health protection division with HKPR – as well as Dr. Natalie Bocking, HKPR’s medical officer of health – are among those who’ve echoed the call for immunizations recently, with an emphasis on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
“With recently identified cases of measles in Ontario, it is imperative that children receive the MMR vaccine,” said Rock. “Two doses of the MMR vaccine are required under the Immunization of School Pupils Act in Ontario, with doses administered at 12 (to) 15 months and four to six years (old.) Adhering to the vaccination schedule ensures optimal protection for our communities.”
Officials have been urging parents and guardians to act now to ensure children’s immunization records are up-to-date and to avoid disruption in education. Vaccination clinics can be scheduled through family doctors or health units for families without primary-care providers, it was explained.
Parents/guardians can verify records for missing vaccines via the Immunization Connection Ontario (ICON) website, noted HKPR.
The health unit also has information online to help with appointments for residents without doctors, on valid exemptions, and options for submitting updated immunization records.
For further help, residents can call the health unit at 1-866-888-4577 ext. 1507.
Similarly, HPE public health has been encouraging residents to know their measles vaccine status. And following its March board of health meeting, area families were also reminded about the importance of immunizations.
“Approximately 4,900 letters were recently sent to students in Hastings and Prince Edward counties whose vaccination records were incomplete,” said the health unit.
To support updating records, HPE public health is working closely with area healthcare providers and to also provide clinics for students, explained staff.
However, students with incomplete records and/or without valid exemptions will be suspended on April 9, 2024, confirmed HPE staff.
Families should contact healthcare providers to get up-to-date jabs – if this isn’t an option, appointments can be booked with public health via hpePublicHealth.ca/clinic/immunization-clinic/ or by calling 613-966-5500, ext. 221.
Student vaccination records can be checked or updated at hpePublicHealth.ca/immunization-reporting-records/.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
