14,000 Ottawa students behind on vaccines, OPH says [Video]

Ottawa’s associate medical officer of health says thousands of children in the capital are behind on their shots.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) will resume ongoing surveillance and enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act this school year by sending letters to parents and guardians who have not reported their children’s up-to-date vaccination records to public health for the vaccines required to attend school.

Dr. Trevor Arnason tells CTV News Ottawa that OPH is focused on 7-year-olds and 17-year-olds right now.

“Those are very important milestones for vaccination and we’re seeing about 7,000 potentially out of date with their reporting on immunizations,” he said.

Ottawa Public Health told CTV News Ottawa on Thursday that approximately 7,000 7-year-olds and 7,000 17-year-olds are out of date with their immunizations.

Under the Act, children attending school in Ontario are required to be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps, rubella, …