Public Health ISPA Suspension Order Information

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If you are a parent/guardian or student over the age of 16 that received an Order of Suspension from Attendance at School from Region of Waterloo Public Health, the information below outlines the information contained in the Order.

Your student received this order because their Immunization Record was not brought up-to-date. An Immunization Notice was sent to you earlier in the school year that listed your student's missing vaccines and what actions to take to avoid suspension.

The Suspension Order is a legal document and action is required for your student to avoid a 20 day school suspension.

Suspension begins on the following dates:

April 2, 2025 for elementary (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8)
May 8, 2025 for secondary (Grades 9 to 12)

To get the student's record up-to-date choose the most appropriate option below:

If this student has already received their missing vaccines, please report them to us.
If this student requires a vaccine, visit your health care provider to get vaccinated. Once the student has received the vaccine, report it to Public Health.
If you do not wish to vaccinate this student, please visit our vaccine exemptions page to review options.
For more information and troubleshooting, please review the Immunization Notice.

Note: Suspension Orders are issued based on the information that Public Health had available on a specific date. If your child received vaccinations at a Public Health Clinic on or after the date below, no further action is required.

February 4, 2025 for elementary
March 13, 2025 for secondary

Also, if you have received confirmation from Public Health that your child’s vaccination record is up to date, no further action is required

What does the Order say?

The document your received includes your student's name and mailing address, the name of their school, their date of birth, gender, grade at school and home phone number. This information is followed by the Suspension Order from Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Medical Officer of Health for Region of Waterloo Public Health.

Review the content of the Suspension Order here:

I, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Waterloo Public Health, pursuant to section 6 of the Immunization of School Pupils Act, R.S.O.1990, c. l.1 (“Act”) hereby order the suspension of the above named pupil for a period of twenty school days.

Suspensions start on April 2, 2025 for elementary (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8)
Suspensions start on May 8, 2025 for secondary (Grades 9 to 12)

The grounds for this order are as follows:

I have not received one of the following for the named student
1. Submission to Region of Waterloo Public Health, signed by a physician, showing immunization against the diseases that were communicated to you in an Immunization Notice as missing from the student's record;
2. A statement of medical exemption; or
3. A statement of conscience or religious belief (commissioned affidavit required); and confirmation that the parent has completed the education session described in section 3 (3) of the Act; and
I am not satisfied that the pupil has completed, has commenced and will complete, or will commence and complete the prescribed program of immunization in relation to the disease(s) indicated above.

Parent/Guardian:

Evidence of immunization, including date administered, can be submitted in person at Region of Waterloo Public Health, or online at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines.

If you have questions about this Order, please call 519-575-4400 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

This order will be rescinded (the student may resume attendance at school) where circumstances for making the order no longer exist, such as:

The immunization record is updated either via reporting of past immunizations or by receiving the immunization outlined above; or
A statement of medical exemption or statement of conscience or religious belief (commissioned affidavit required) is submitted to Region of Waterloo Public Health and confirmation that the parent has completed the education session described in section 3(3) of the Act.

You are entitled to a hearing by the Health Services Review and Appeal Board if the parent (or pupil if 16 or 17 years of age) mails or delivers to the Associate Medical Officer of Health, the Health Services Review and Appeal Board and the person who operates the school, within 15 days after the notice is served on the parent or pupil, notice in writing requiring a hearing and the parent or pupil may so require such a hearing.

The addresses are as follows:

Medical Officer of Health

99 Regina Street South, Waterloo, ON, N2J 4V3

Health Services Review and Appeal Board

151 Bloor Street West, 9th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1S4

School Principal:

Please obtain this information from your respective school.

Privacy statement

Your student’s name, date of birth, gender and contact information was provided by their school. If any of the information is wrong, please contact the school to have it corrected.

The information provided or attached to the Immunization Notice is being collected, and will be used by Region of Waterloo Public Health for the purpose of the medical officer of health maintaining an immunization record on the named student and to take appropriate action to prevent certain vaccine preventable diseases in the health unit. This information may be disclosed to the Ministry of Health or other health units for the purpose of the prevention of vaccine preventable diseases. For further details concerning this collection, contact us at 99 Regina Street South, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4V3.