Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH), formerly the Brant County Health Unit and the Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit, has issued suspension orders that will take effect March 25, 2025, to elementary and secondary school students in Brantford-Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk who have not met the requirements of the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).
Multiple reminder notices have been previously provided to students beginning July 2024. In total 2,006 suspension orders have been issued for students in Brantford-Brant in cohorts 2008, 2013, and 2017 and 829 suspension orders in Haldimand-Norfolk in cohorts 2008, 2016 and 2017.
“Ensuring that all students are up to date with their immunizations is crucial for the health and safety of our school communities. By enforcing the Immunization of School Pupils Act, we aim to protect students from vaccine-preventable diseases by maintaining high immunization coverage rates. We urge parents and guardians to review their children’s immunization records and report any updates or deficiencies to public health promptly,” said Dr. Malcolm Lock, Acting Medical Officer of Health, Grand Erie Public Health
Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) is required to collect and maintain the immunization records of all students under the age of 18 attending school in the Brantford-Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk regions. This is to ensure that all students have up-to-date immunization records in the event of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease.
In Ontario, the Immunization of School Pupils Act requires all students between the ages of 4 to 17 to provide proof of routine childhood immunization for tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, and varicella (for children born in 2010 and after) or have a valid exemption to attend school. Under the Act, it remains the responsibility of the parent/guardian to report immunizations to public health, not of the health care provider.
The goal is to increase immunization coverage rates and keep school communities safe. Parents and guardians are urged to ensure their children’s immunization records are up to date to avoid suspension.
