Vaccine records aren’t up to date for more than half of Ottawa, Toronto students assessed: public health

TORONTO — Public health records for Ottawa and Toronto schools show that among the cohorts assessed this year, more than half of the students did not have up-to-date immunization records, which experts say exposes an antiquated system that's unhelpful in the race to boost vaccination rates.

Toronto Public Health said it sent 60,000 letters over the summer to students in Grades 2 to 5 who hadn't submitted records. The Immunization of School Pupils Act requires students to be vaccinated against nine diseases in order to attend school.

The public health unit said earlier this month about 54 per cent, or 50,000, students were still non-compliant, and would get suspension notices if their records aren't updated in the coming months.

Similarly in Ottawa, the city’s public health unit said as