Toronto/CMEDIA: Toronto Public Health (TPH) reportedly is reminding parents, guardians, school staff and students about the importance of staying up to date with vaccinations with students preparing for new school sessions.
Helping to prevent the spread of serious diseases in schools. vaccinations for all students are required as outlined in Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) unless they have a valid exemption.
Included in these are vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis (whooping cough), meningococcal, and for students born in 2010 or later, varicella (chicken pox).
TPH will assess and enforce ISPA requirements during the 2025-2026 school year for public elementary students born between 2015 and 2018 (grades 2 to 5),
With the persisting risk of measles exposure in Ontario, TPH will assess these grades due to low rates of submitted measles vaccine records.
Absence of ISPA compliance by students who are missing any of the required records may face suspension for up to 20 school days.
Key actions for parents and guardians require:
- Checking vaccine records to ensure the child’s vaccine records are current. This can be done by checking their Ontario Immunization Record (yellow card) or by logging into Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON ).
2. Getting vaccinated: Vaccines are available through a primary health care provider or at a TPH community clinic.
3. Parents and guardians, or students 16 years of age and older, must report the student’s vaccinations to TPH. This can be done online using ICON.
4. A how-to video on using ICON is available on the TPH YouTube channel . Health care providers, such as doctors and nurses, do not report vaccines to TPH.
Visit toronto.ca/StudentVaccines to book an appointment at a TPH community clinic or to report a child’s vaccinations through ICON.
School-based vaccination programs
Resuming this school year, TPH’s School Immunization Program will offer free hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal vaccines to students in grades 7 and 8 at school-based clinics.
The meningococcal vaccine prevents meningitis and is required by the ISPA. Hepatitis B and HPV vaccines are voluntary but highly recommended to help prevent cancers. Students in grades 7 to 12 who missed these school-based vaccines can still receive them for free by booking an appointment at a TPH community vaccination clinic or with a health care provider. Learn more about the program at toronto.ca/StudentVaccines.
Measles Protection
As exposure to measles is a risk in Ontario and around the world, The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that students and school staff have two doses of measles vaccine.
In the event of a measles case at a school, anyone without two doses of the vaccine or proof of immunity may be excluded from attendance to prevent further spread.
