Student Suspensions and the Immunization of School Pupils Act 1990
The province of Ontario has made childhood immunization a legal matter. The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) of 1990 states that all children attending school must be adequately immunized against the following diseases:
The Brant County Public Health Unit is responsible for collecting and maintaining updated immunization information for children who are enrolled in licensed childcare centers and for students aged 4 to 18 years attending school in Brant County.
When is this information being collected and when will I as a parent know about it?
Every two months, notices are sent to parents
through the childcare center. Yearly notices are also sent, through school, to
students in elementary and high school. Notices are only sent to those students
whose children hold an incomplete immunization record at the Brant County
Health Unit or to parents with children who have no record on file.
What do I do if this form says that my child’s immunization record is incomplete?
If your child’s immunization record is not up to date at the Brant County Health Unit, check your yellow card or call your doctor’s office so that you can accurately complete the form and send it back to the Brant County Health Unit. Remember that your child’s immunization record is not automatically forwarded to the Brant County Health Unit from your doctor or from a health unit in another geographical area.
What do I do if this form says my child is missing some needles?
If you think your child may have received the needles we are asking for, please check your yellow immunization card or call your doctor to get the correct dates to fill in the form.
If your child has not received the needles that we are asking for, make an appointment with your doctor to get your child vaccinated. All of the required vaccines are available free of charge. Do not forget to bring the form with you to your appointment, fill it in with the correct information and then send it back to the Brant County Health Unit.
If you are having difficulty getting an appointment at your doctor’s office, the Brant County Health Unit offers an immunization clinic. To book an appointment call (519) 753-4937 ext 449.
What does it mean when the form says my child will be suspended from school?
The Brant County Health Unit makes every attempt to give parents sufficient time to respond to the notice they have received. If you do not contact us at all after you receive your notice, your child may be suspended from school until you provide us with the requested information. We make every effort to work with parents, once they have contacted us, to get the necessary information or to have a child immunized.
I do not want my child immunized.What can I do to prevent this?
If a parent does not wish to have their child immunized, an affidavit can be signed opposing immunization on conscientious or religious grounds.These forms are available at the Brant County Health Unit or by clicking here (PDF 33KB). Doctors can also sign exemption forms based on medical reasons, which are also available at the Brant County Health Unit.
Conscientious/religious exemption forms can be completed by a parent but must be witnessed. Persons authorized to sign affidavits are notary publics, barristers or solicitors, any justice of the Peace, a judge of a Superior Court or a designated Commissioner of Oaths.
Parents should understand the future consequences of not having their child immunized. If there is an outbreak or threat of outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease, non-immune students may be excluded from school by an order written by the Medical Officer of Health. (Sec. 12.1) The order remains in force until withdrawn in writing by the Medical Officer of Health (Sec. 12.3), when he/she is satisfied that the outbreak or the immediate risk of the outbreak of the disease has ended.
I have a question about my child’s immunization. Who can I talk to?
Contact a Public Health Nurse in the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Program at the Brant County Health Unit with any questions you may have. Call (519) 753-4937 ext 451. Our program staff are available from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.
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