The Windsor-Essex Health Unit says it is holding clinics throughout the week for routine immunizations and students can return to school once their records are updated. Students or their guardians may submit updated records in person at the health facility offices or have their primary care providers fax them. The suspensions come after the health unit issued notices to nearly 8,000 students in August, telling them to update their records by Monday or face a suspension of up to 20 days. The School Immunization Act in Ontario requires students to be vaccinated against certain diseases, such as polio, measles, tetanus, mumps and diphtheria, in order to attend school, with some exceptions for religious or medical reasons. Health units across the province said routine vaccinations — and public health record-keeping related to them — have been delayed by two years of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, and units are running clinics to help students catch up. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 14, 2022.
