Over 1,600 elementary students suspended in Waterloo region for out-of-date vaccination records

Public health officials in Waterloo region are urging people to get vaccinated after more than 1,600 elementary students were suspended for out-of-date vaccination records on Wednesday.

Nearly 9,000 suspension orders were issued in February as a warning to students and parents to either get vaccinated or update health records.

"Vaccination is the best way to ensure your family is protected against serious illness," said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the Region of Waterloo's medical officer of health, in a release Wednesday morning.

If your child is one of the 1,624 students who has been suspended, a parent must book a vaccine appointment with their health-care provider or public health. If a vaccine appointment is already booked for a future date, parents can inform public health through an online form at regionofwaterlo.ca/vaccines. 

Vaccines 'more important now than ever'

Wang said immunizations are more important now than ever as measles circulates in the region.

Ontario has been experiencing a rise in cases of the vaccine-preventable virus in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, public health officials confirmed 14 cases of measles in Waterloo region, up from just three cases last week. It's a number that's expected to grow.

"We do expect our cases continue to rise over the next little while," said Dr. Rabia Bana, associate medical officer of health for the Region of Waterloo.

"We will be monitoring the situation closely and continuing our case and contact management efforts, as well as our immunization efforts to ensure that we limit the spread as much as possible within our community," she said. 

The good news, Bana said, is Waterloo region's vaccination rate is back to pre-pandemic levels, which means it's in the 90 per cent range.