150 students in Brant County suspended for missing mandatory vaccinations

Students in Brant County with outdated immunization records will be suspended, officials say, from school until their records are updated.

The Brant County Health Unit identified 150 students — 93 from elementary schools and 57 from secondary schools — who are missing one or more mandatory vaccinations.

That number "won't be increasing," the Health Unit said in a statement, but will instead "be decreasing as those students receive their missing immunizations."

Vaccinations for certain diseases that are easily spreadable in schools are required by law for students aged four to 17 under the Ontario Immunization of School Pupils Act.

"The current measles outbreak occurring in Vancouver is a timely reminder of the importance of getting students' vaccinations up to date," said Richard Hesch, Supervisor of Clinic Services at the Health Unit in Brant County.

These policies are designed "to prevent infectious disease outbreaks in our community," he said.

The suspensions come not long after more than 6,000 students in the Waterloo region received suspension notices due to outdated vaccination records.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Health students must have proof of immunization against diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease, whooping cough, and – for children born in 2010 or later – chickenpox.

Suspended students can receive missing vaccines through their doctor's office or the Health Unit, which can be reached at 519-753-4937 ext. 451.