Friday, March 1, 2024| 10 a.m. | Windsor and Essex County
The following statement can be attributed to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU):
“The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) (1990), Section 11, Subsections (1) and (2) require public health units to maintain and review immunization records for every student attending school in Ontario; and to enforce a school suspension on students with incomplete immunization records. In the Fall of 2023, immunization records of all elementary students in Windsor and Essex County were reviewed (45,371 records). As of today, 98% of these students are up to date with the ISPA requirements, and 2% continue to have incomplete records. As a result, 860 Windsor and Essex County elementary students are being excluded from school for up to 20 days or until they have complied with the ISPA.
Students who have been suspended today are required to provide the WECHU with records for missing immunizations and/or a valid exemption. Once a parent or guardian provides the student’s updated immunization information to the health unit:
- The student’s immunization record will be updated,
- The suspension will be lifted,
- The school will be informed, and
- The student can return to school immediately.
The WECHU is here to help affected families. Services available 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at our Windsor and Leamington offices includes: immunization counselling and support, updating immunization records, and administration of missing vaccines. Proof of immunization can be submitted online at immune.wechu.org. Families are encouraged to visit wechu.org/getimmunized for more information.
Alternatively, families can reach out to their health care provider to receive immunizations and/or obtain missing immunization information. Families can request that their health care provider then fax updated immunization records to the WECHU at 519-258-7288.