Lambton Public Health to notify 3,000 parents of incomplete vaccination records

A nurse doing a vaccine injection with a syringe in a hospital. (Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images)

Following an effort to catch students up on incomplete vaccination records, Lambton Public Health (LPH) sent out roughly 3,000 notices to parents and guardians of students with incomplete or out of date vaccination records.

The Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires students in Ontario to be vaccinated against or obtain an exemption for tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease (which causes meningitis) and varicella.

Although 3,000 notices seems like a lot, it’s a marked improvement from the 6,000 notices issued in the 2024-2025 school year.

Health records and immunization records are not reported by healthcare providers, it’s up to parents to ensure that their child’s vaccination records are up to date, or to apply for a valid exemption. If records are not updated, parents may still receive a notice even if all required vaccinations have been received.

There was a brief pause in the enforcement of the ISPA during the pandemic, however, in 2024 LPH resumed ensuring that records were complete.

Immunizations must be reported before Jan. 31, 2025. Suspension orders will be mailed in February, followed by suspensions effective March 4.

If you need additional vaccinations to get caught up, talk to your healthcare provider or visit Lambton Public Health’s website for more options.