High school students face suspension over vaccine records

High school students in Waterloo Region will be receiving suspension notices for out-of-date immunization records next Monday. 

This comes after 526 elementary students were handed suspension notices earlier this week. 

Those numbers could be even higher by 2015, because the province has mandated three additional vaccines for students, for whooping cough, meningitis and chicken pox.

"Our numbers for next year for suspended kids will likely increase but we've already started to give the community [a] heads up," said Linda Black, the manager of vaccines for Region of Waterloo Public Health.

Students aren't required to be vaccinated, but they are required to have their vaccination records up to date and can face suspension if the records aren't kept current.

The suspensions come after a University of Waterloo student was confirmed this week as the first person to have measles in the Region since 2009. The student became ill in February, but testing only confirmed measles on Monday.

Currently students already receive the shot for tetanus and diphtheria which includes whooping cough coverage, and meningitis vaccines will be given in schools.

But the chicken pox vaccine will only be required for students born after 2010, according to Black.

"It's the little guys we're requiring that one for and its a little trickier so the province is still working out the details of how we're going to implement that one."

The new rules take effect July 1 and students who aren't immunized will face suspensions by next March.