'That suspension process is rolling out': MLHU warns of consequences for not having updated school vaccination records

Koushik Mahamud, 9, gets his COVID-19 vaccination at a clinic as the campaign to vaccinate children aged 5-11 against COVID-19 continues, in Montreal, Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is stepping up enforcement of provincial mandatory vaccination rules for elementary and secondary school students.

MLHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers said now is the time to catch-up on vaccine compliance. He said that would include dedicating health unit staff to enforcement of the policy.

"In the fall we assessed vaccination coverage for childhood vaccines for school-aged children here in Middlesex-London and what we found is that vaccine coverage is substantially lower than it was prior to the pandemic,” he explained.

As an example, Summers said, “A review of immunization coverage among seven-year-olds…the health unit found a two per cent to 50 per cent drop in coverage for some vaccines. That’s comparing numbers from before the pandemic to the most recent reports.”

Health unit officials said when the enforcement campaign got underway there were over 1,200 students facing suspension, and that number has already been reduced to under 500 students.

School vaccine requirements are in place for nine diseases including, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps, rubella and meningococcal disease.

Students can be exempt if they provide a valid medical, philosophical or religious reason.

COVID-19 vaccinations are not mandatory for students. Still, the pandemic created challenges for getting standard school vaccines and for updating records.

Summers said what isn't certain however is if vaccine hesitancy expressed during the pandemic is affecting the uptake in the mandatory school vaccines.

The health unit is now dedicating resources to notify caregivers of students whose records aren't up to date, and to let them know the consequences.

"For kids that aren't up-to-date they will be suspended from school until their records are up to date,” Summers explained. “That suspension process is rolling out, school-by-school, over the next six months and we will be working really closely with families to make sure that the days’ out-of-school are as few as possible."