School Screening & Suspensions

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Routine childhood vaccinations are important to ensure that children get the best start in life, and provide protection from serious vaccine-preventable infections such as measles, polio and meningitis. 

The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) is an Ontario law that requires students to be vaccinated for certain diseases or have a valid exemption, to protect the health of children and prevent disease outbreaks in schools. If record of vaccinations are not up to date or a valid exemption is not on file with Public Health, the child may be suspended from school.

Throughout the year, letters may be mailed to families to inform them that a child in their household does not have an up-to-date vaccine record with Hamilton Public Health. It is the responsibility of parents to report their children’s vaccine records to public health, and are not reported by healthcare providers. 

If you are uncertain whether a child in your household has an up-to-date vaccination record, you can verify online or by calling 905-540-5250. To obtain your child’s vaccination history for reporting purposes, you can refer to your child’s yellow vaccine card or speak with your health care provider. If the child requires vaccinations they can visit their healthcare providers (e.g., family doctor, other primary care provider or walk-in clinic), to receive the necessary vaccinations. 

Vaccines required under ISPA

• diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis
• measles, mumps, rubella (German measles)
• varicella (chicken pox; for those born 2010 and onward)
• meningitis

School Suspensions

If your child's vaccine records are not up to date they can be suspended from school for up to 20 school days or until an up to date vaccine record, or an exemption is provided to Public Health.

If their vaccine record is not up to date following the screening letter, a suspension letter will be sent. The letter gives the final deadline to submit your child's up to date vaccine record or exemption, to avoid being suspended from school.

School Suspension Clinics

At this time there are no scheduled suspension clinics. Clinics will become available leading up to the beginning of a suspension period. You can receive vaccinations from your family health care provider or walk-in clinic. If you cannot access vaccinations through other channels please visit www.hamilton.ca/getyourvaccine to book into a community vaccine clinic. 

Vaccine Reporting

Updating vaccine reports can be done online, by mail or by phone: