979 elementary students in Guelph face suspension over immunization records

Over 900 elementary students in Guelph face therisk of being suspendedfor not having their immunization records updated, as Jan. 26 is the deadline for parents to notifyWellingtonDufferinGuelph Public Health (WDGPH).

By midweek, 979 elementary students in Guelph still needed to get their records updated.

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Students who don't have their records up-to-date by Friday, maybe suspended on January 31until their immunization record is updated.

RitaIsley,director ofcommunity health and wellness atWDGPH, said public health works with schools to getimmunization records when children are registered forKindergarten.

But it'sultimatelyup to parents to notify public health when their child hasbeen vaccinated, a responsibility that many parents are often not aware of, she said.

Numbers have gone down

Isley said that sinceWDGPHimplemented the suspension process, the number of all students facing suspension over the yearshas gone down significantly.

"I would say it's been cut in half fromlast year," she said. "I believe we were around 11,000 students and this year we were just about 6,000."

WDGPHassessedstudent immunization records and started to send letters to parents in the fall.

There was alsodrop-in immunization clinics for studentswho needed vaccinations since the beginning of January.

"If [parents] havereceived phone calls, have a letter, or notices from the school that their child is still on the list for not having their vaccinations up-to-date, to get in contact with public health as soon as possible," Isleysaid.

Students can be suspended for up to 20 days, however students are normally back in school within four days, she said.