Hamilton public health to resume vaccine-related suspensions in schools this September

Hamilton Public Health Services says it will resume enforcing vaccine-related suspensions for students in September.

It previously paused plans to suspend high school students who are overdue for vaccines or don't have valid exemption records due to a cyberattack that paralyzed city services.

Hackers locked or encrypted some city data exactly how much is unknown and held it for ransom earlier this year. The city didn't say how much money the hackers demanded, but declined to pay up, forcing staff to try to rebuild and restore many systems.

In an email, Dr. Brendan Lew, associate medical officer of health, told CBC Hamilton thatpublic health is "concerned" about current vaccination rates for students.

Data obtained by CBC Hamilton shows there hasbeen a massive drop in rates reported to public health since the COVID-19 pandemic for some age groups.

Reported up-to-date vaccination rates from the 2018-19 school year were between 90 and 96 per cent for students between ages 16 and 17, and between ages 7 and 8.

But the up-to-date vaccination rates for the 2023-24 school year show rates as low as 80 per cent for students aged 16 and 17, and rates around 40 per cent for most diseases in students aged 7 and 8.

The reported school vaccination rates are for diseases including measles, mumps, meningococcal, diphtheria, pertussis, poliomyelitis, rubella, tetanus and varicella. They're all listed under Ontario's Immunization of School Pupils Act.

Public health expects'true' vaccinationrates dropped since COVID-19

Public health says it doesn't get the same level of data for daycares and can't assess those coverage rates, according to Lew.

The drop doesn't necessarily mean there are more unvaccinated kids, Lew said, as there may be somewith up-to-date vaccinations who haven't yet had their vaccine status reported to public health.

"However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented barriers to both receiving vaccines and reporting vaccine records to Public Health, and so while the rates reported may be an underestimation, we do expect that true vaccination coverage rates have dipped post-pandemic," Lew explained.

"When vaccination rates drop in a community, it is easier for diseases to spread amongst unvaccinated and under-vaccinated individuals and can cause outbreaks of serious diseases such as measles."

Last week, public health announced a Hamilton child underfive years old died of measles. It did not say exactly when the death occurred, however. It's the first such death in Ontario since 1989, when tracking began, according to Public Health Ontario (PHO).

Students can be suspended up to 20 school days

Lew said the cybersecurity incident did initially create barriers for families to report vaccination rates. The city says people can now phone, report online or use mail. Faxing records won't work.

Lew said come September, parents will get a letter if their children attend school, don't have up-to-date vaccines and have no exemption on file.

Families would get the letters roughly four to six weeks before the suspension deadline. The city did not share when that exact deadline would be.

The letters will explain the Immunization of School Pupils Act, have information on required vaccines, exemptions, how to get the vaccines and how to report them to public health.

Lew said when suspension day comes, public health provides schools with a list of students who are not reported as vaccinated, which forces the principal to suspend students for up to 20 school days.

As soon as a student gets vaccinated,the suspension is lifted.