As of Tuesday, Sept. 26, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), in accordance with the Immunization of Schools Pupils Act (ISPA), will issue suspension orders to 1623 students in Grades 11 and 12 with missing or incomplete vaccination records, affidavits or medical exemptions on file.
Under ISPA, public health units are required to maintain vaccine records for every student attending school and enforce suspensions for incomplete vaccine information. Currently, 84 per cent of Grade 11 and 12 students in Simcoe Muskoka have complete vaccination records.
To support students that need to receive their immunizations, all health unit offices across Simcoe and Muskoka will be offering walk-in clinics beginning Monday, September 25 to Friday, September 29, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. When a student is immunized at a health unit clinic their record is immediately updated and they are given a confirmation sheet to return school.
Students may also receive their immunization through their healthcare provider but must report this information to the health unit. Reporting their immunization can easily be done online at smdhu.org/immsonline or by calling the health unit’s Health Connection line at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.
Having up-to-date immunizations helps to ensure that students have the best protection against serious vaccine preventable diseases and reduces the risk of outbreaks in schools and allows the health unit to act quickly to prevent and control outbreaks.
For more information about routine and required vaccines for students and the diseases they prevent, please visit smdhu.org. To speak with a public health professional, call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.