For some students in Ottawa, the March Break isn’t the only time off they’ll have from school this month.
More than 950 elementary and secondary school-aged children were still facing suspension after a March 1 deadline passed to present updated immunization records to Ottawa Public Health. Parents were left scrambling to comply with this rule to avoid having their children miss classes.
Ottawa Public Health, between Dec. 15 and March 8, the agency issued 7,843 suspensions to students at all four local school boards.
According to a March 1 email sent to parents by Glebe Collegiate Institute principal France Thibault, students would have to be sent home if their name was on the OPH list of students that hadn’t yet provided documentation that their vaccinations were up to date.
“Schools will receive notices . . . of students who are still outstanding with their vaccinations,” the email said. “Those students will be sent home so they can be vaccinated.”
The immunizations are meant to protect students against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, mumps, measles and rubella.
For students born in 2010 or later, they are also required to be vaccinated against meningococcal disease, whooping cough and chickenpox.
Ottawa Public Health began reviewing the vaccination records for 150,000 children in April. Officials said that many parents are unaware that it’s up to them to send the updated information for the vaccines required.
According to a report released in October by Ottawa Public Health, officials have looked over the 150,000 immunization records for children in elementary and secondary schools.
Donna Casey, the program and project management officer at Ottawa Public Health, said the agency is not providing a breakdown of how many students have been suspended from each neighbourhood.
The final group of suspensions was issued on March 8.
Once parents are able to send in proof that their children are up to date on all of their immunizations, students are able to go back to school.
Until then, students are required to stay at home until they are either vaccinated or are able to provide proof of immunization.
Once this part of the project is complete, Ottawa Public Health says it will turn its focus from the four public school boards in Ottawa to the 59 private schools across the region.
Meanwhile, some parents are continuing to scramble to get their child’s vaccination documents in order.
Those parents who received a letter are urged to contact Ottawa Public Health by phone, fax, or online at www.parentinginOttawa.ca/immunization. There is also an app for those who use Apple products and have children under the age of 15.