Risk of suspension for elementary students

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has sent 1,178 suspension orders to parents of elementary school students who have not updated their immunization records.

The health unit is required by law to keep a record on file of each student's immunization history, or valid exemption. These files are needed so that, in the event of an outbreak of vaccine preventable disease in a school setting, the health unit can work quickly to protect students who may be at risk.

Parents will have until April 12 to make sure the records are up-to-date. After that, the suspensions come into effect.

The health unit has targeted 44 elementary schools in Muskoka and Simcoe. Initial notices were sent out in February and parents were given a month to complete the required information.

More than half the parents who received questionnaires updated their children's records as required, vaccine preventable disease program manager Laurie Stanford said.

"The response to questionnaires has been quite uniform from year to year," Stanford said. "For many parents, missing the update deadlines is just an oversight and the list gets cleared up very quickly."

The process of assessing secondary students was completed earlier in February.

Parents with questions about their children's immunization records can contact Your Health Connection at 721-7520 or 1-877-721- 7520 Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. or visit the health unit's website at www.simcoemuskokahealth. org.