PREPARED BY: Healthy Schools
DATE: 2025-02-06
SUBJECT: ISPA Enforcement Update
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
In Ontario, the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) R.S.O. 1990, requires children and adolescents attending elementary and secondary school to be immunized against measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, meningococcal, and polio, or have a valid Medical, Conscience or Religious Belief exemption on file at the Health Unit. As outlined in the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS), health units in Ontario are required to have a complete immunization record, or a valid exemption on file, for every student attending school in their area.
The WECHU assesses compliance with the ISPA and takes a progressive and collaborative enforcement approach. Families of students not in compliance with the ISPA are notified in advance and provided information on actions to avoid a school suspension. A suspension order is issued if proof of immunization or an exemption is not provided to the WECHU by the specified deadline.
DISCUSSION
For the 2024/2025 school year, WECHU has reviewed 65,633 immunization records for students attending elementary and secondary schools in Windsor and Essex County, as mandated by the ISPA. As of November 1, 2024, over 11,000 students in the birth cohort years between 2007 and 2020 were either overdue for one or more of the ISPA-based vaccines or had not submitted their updated records to the WECHU. The parents/guardians of these students received the first immunization notice in November 2024, informing them of their child’s missing vaccines along with information on how and where to receive any missing vaccinations and how to update the child’s records with the WECHU.
As of January 20, 2025, there are 3,699 elementary school students and 2,781 secondary school students that continue to have incomplete immunization records with the WECHU and are at risk of school suspension. These students will receive a final notice in the mail. The WECHU will continue to update records until the deadlines of February 27, 2025 (elementary) and March 13, 2025 (secondary). After these deadlines, students who are not in compliance will be suspended from school effective March 3, 2025 (elementary) and March 17, 2025 (secondary).
The WECHU is offering catch-up immunization clinics at both Windsor and Leamington offices. To better service our community, appointments are available during business hours as well as evenings and Saturdays. Appointments can be made online at wechu.org/getimmunized or by calling the WECHU at 519-258-2146 ext. 1222. Priority appointments are for students that are at risk of being suspended from school and those without primary health care provider access.
Families can also contact their health care provider to receive missing vaccinations and are reminded to update their child’s immunization records online. The WECHU is working with local health care providers to ensure practitioners have the necessary vaccines and information to service their patients.
As part of the strategy to reach parents/guardians, the WECHU has implemented a detailed communications plan that included news releases, social media posts, radio ads, graphics for school TV screens, a 211 email blast, and paid Facebook and Google ads. Throughout December-February, organic Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram messages were posted on WECHU’s social media channels, ranging from general messaging about the benefits of vaccination, information on how and where to book vaccine appointments, and how to update a student’s immunization record.
Grade 7 School Immunization Clinics Update
Public health units across Ontario, including the WECHU, offer vaccines for Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and Meningococcal Disease to students in Grade 7 at no cost each year through the school-based immunization program. The Meningococcal vaccine is an ISPA-required vaccine to attend school in Ontario; Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are not required but are highly recommended as they are evidence-based cancer prevention measures.
In-school clinics for the 2024-2025 school year were offered to all Grade 7 students in Windsor and Essex County starting on October 9, 2024. The WECHU team has provided 3705 doses of meningococcal vaccine (i.e., Men-C-ACYW-135), 2885 doses of Hepatitis B vaccine, and 3179 doses of HPV vaccine so far this school year. The second round of in-school clinics are scheduled to start in spring 2025.