Thousands of Windsor-Essex students face suspension if vaccines are not updated by Sept. 12

Thousands of students in Windsor, Ont., are starting to receive suspension notices over out-of-date immunization records, but health units in other areas are giving families more time to catch up on routine shots.

Students between the ages of four and 17 in the province could face suspension from school if they do not have certain vaccinations, but health units say immunizations lagged during the pandemic.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) has issued 7,858 suspension orders to students with incomplete immunization records, saying they have until Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. to update them.

In a news release WECHU said it reviewed immunization records in June and found students who were either overdue for one or more vaccines, or have not submitted their updated records to the health unit.

The orders issued by the health unit provide options for students to get any missing immunizations and update their records.

If not, students could be suspended for up to 20 days, starting Sept. 14.

Catch-up clinics are being offered at the WECHU offices and different locations across Windsor-Essex, the health unit said, adding that it will continue to hold these clinics for the rest of the summer.

Toronto Public Health, meanwhile, says it is behind on assessing immunization records due to the pandemic and is currently in the process of reviewing them while holding clinics to help students catch up.

Peterborough Public Health says more students are behind on immunizations than usual due to COVID-19 disruptions, and it is also hosting clinics with an eye to revisit enforcement of the rules next year.

The public health unit in Niagara Region says it also has not been able to comprehensively review immunization records in recent years due to the pandemic and it is running catch-up clinics for students.