More than 1,400 Waterloo Region HS students suspended over vaccination issues [Video]

More than 1,400 high school students in Waterloo Region were suspended by Waterloo Public Health on Wednesday morning for having out-of-date vaccination records.

A total of 1,428 pupils from the area have been suspended under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

“The vaccines required under the act help to prevent serious infections and are important to maintain teenagers’ health and protect them from disease,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, said in a release.

“Reporting your vaccines or submitting an exemption will ensure a quick resolution of the suspension.”

The ISPA requires all elementary and secondary school students to have proof of vaccination for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis.

Students need to either have the records or a valid exemption on file with Waterloo Public Health.

WPH has said a majority of the high school students who are not up to date are missing the meningococcal ACYW-135 vaccine or a booster for tetanus, …