Southeast Public Health (SEPH) is reminding parents and guardians to ensure their school-aged children are fully immunized and have up-to-date vaccination records — or valid exemptions — on file in order to attend school.
Under Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), all elementary and secondary students must be immunized against nine diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, meningococcal disease and, for children born in 2010 or later, varicella (chickenpox).
Students who do not meet ISPA requirements may be suspended from school for up to 20 school days. SEPH says it will review all student immunization records and enforce the legislation during the 2025–26 school year.
“The best way for parents to ensure that their child won’t be impacted by ISPA requirements is to check their immunization records early,” said Jennifer Adams, Program Manager for Immunizations – Schools at SEPH. “Parents whose children have been immunized by their health-care provider should make sure those records have been reported to public health.”
Families are being urged to book appointments early for students who are behind on their vaccines.
SEPH says immunization notices for students with incomplete records will begin going out this fall — in November 2025 for students in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Counties, and in January 2026 for those in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Hastings and Prince Edward Counties.
