Suspensions for students missing immunization records start Monday

Several hundred elementary students in Windsor-Essex could be forced out of classes due to incomplete immunization records.

Starting on Monday, students born in 2008 without complete records will be suspended until Oct. 21, which works out to 20 days of school. According to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, 350 students were on the suspension list earlier this week.

That's fewer than half of the 800 students who first received the suspension notices at the beginning of September.

Representatives from both the public and Catholic school boards say they support the health unit's decision to enforce a law that's been in place since 1990.

"The health unit is more actively enforcing the legislation that is in place and we applaud them for doing that," said Stephen Fields, a spokesman for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.

"It's the kind of thing that's going to improve the health and safety of all our students in all of our schools," he said.  

Fields said students will be sent home with work for the first five days of the suspension. After that, they will be able to go to an off-site location and have a half-day of instruction every other day.

Students will also be able to bring in their medical records to shorten the suspension, said Sharon Pyke, a superintendent with the public board.

Parents have until Saturday to forward the records to the health unit. The final tally of students missing records will be done on Sunday and school principals will receive suspension lists on Monday.

Parents who do not wish to vaccinate their children must submit an exemption form to the health unit.