Immunization of Schools Pupils Act
Oct. 03, 2024
This message is sent on behalf of Halton Region Public Health
This letter has been translated into the following languages:
اَلْعَرَبِيَّةُ (Arabic) Français (French) हिंदी (Hindi) ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi) 中文 (Simplified Chinese)
Dear parents/guardians of students in Grade 2 and Grade 7 to 12,
This school year, Halton Region Public Health is enforcing Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) for students in your child's birth year who are missing immunization records with Public Health.
The ISPA requires that all students attending school be fully immunized against the designated diseases listed below. Parents/guardians must report all vaccines their children receive to Public Health. Vaccines required for school attendance are free, safe, effective and align with Ontario’s Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule.
Parents/guardians receiving this notice must complete the following steps:
Review your child’s online immunization record at halton.ca/immunize to ensure all vaccines your child has received are included and add any missing vaccines to their online record.
If your child has missed any required vaccines, make an immunization appointment with a health care provider.
Report vaccines online at halton.ca/immunize. Every time a health care provider immunizes a student, parents/guardians must report the vaccines to Public Health. Health care providers do not report the vaccines they give to their patients.
Students must have up to date immunization records for the following ISPA designated diseases:
Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio;
Measles, Mumps, Rubella;
Meningococcal Disease; and
Varicella (chickenpox) (required for children born in 2010 or later).
Parents/guardians will be notified by mail if their child’s record is missing information, starting in October 2024.
If your child is unable to be immunized for medical reasons, or if you choose not to immunize your child, you must submit a vaccine exemption to Halton Region Public Health. For more details about this process, please visit halton.ca/immunize.
Students may be suspended from school in early 2025 if their immunization records remain incomplete.
Please note that COVID-19 vaccines are not required to attend school.
To learn more about immunizations, including translated resources, visit ontario.ca/vaccines, or download A Parent's Guide to Vaccination at canada.ca/vaccines.