According to Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act, children attending school must have an up-to-date vaccine record and that record must be provided to the appropriate school for the student to continue classes.
Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Jason Morgenstern, said enforcing this act is a top priority of the organization.
The responsibility of the pupil’s vaccination status largely relies on the parent or guardian and if the requirements are not met the student will be suspended up to a period of 20 school days.
Although suspension is a last resort option for students who are not vaccinated.
When the health unit was looking at vaccine records there was an initially population of around 3,800 students out of a total population of approximately 15,930 that required updated records.
After a couple months of reaching out to families and providing greater access to immunizations that number of suspension orders fell to approximately 1,675.
Following another round of notices that number fell even further to 390 students who require up-to-date vaccine records as of April 16.
The deadline to update vaccine records was April 15.
Morgenstern said it’s fair to say many families aren’t caught up on their records purely due to the framework of the current system.
In response to this he said there is work being done to integrate a more homogenous filing system to stay up-to-date on all relevant records.
Looking back at the suspension numbers Morgenstern did say that figure is higher than last year, however, this is the first year since 2019 that the Immunization of School Pupils Act has included students of all-ages; the period of 2020-2024 required just two age cohorts to provide up-to-date vaccine records.
Comparing today’s figures to 2019 there were more suspension orders issued in 2026 within a larger overall student population.
The figures for 2026 are: approximately 1,675 suspension orders out of a total population of 15,930.
In 2019: there were approximately 991 suspension orders out of a total population of around 15,000.
Morgenstern recommends students and parents stay on-top of vaccine records to prevent suspensions and to protect fellow classmates from vaccine-preventable disease.
According to Public Health Ontario, Measles, initially a rare disease in Ontario returned to the province en masse, notably with a significant outbreak in October 2024.
The Measles outbreak in Ontario was officially declared in October 2025, and since November of last year, Canada lost its status as a Measles-free nation.
Public Health said adults born after 1970 and children should receive two doses of the Measles vaccine to best combat the disease.
Thanks to immunization efforts, Renfrew County exceeds a community protection threshold of 93 per cent, which Morgenstern said is a reassuring figure.
RCDHU does operate mobile clinics throughout the Valley, but Morgenstern said if anyone needs additional assistance updating vaccination records, they should call 613-732-9436.
(Written by Mik Horvath)
