BRAMPTON, Ont. – March 12, 2026. Peel Public Health (PPH) will continue working with families and school boards to ensure students meet the school attendance requirements of Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).
“The Immunization of School Pupils Act exists to protect children from serious, vaccine preventable diseases that can spread quickly in school settings,” said Dr. Hetal Patel, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Peel Region. “We know tracking and reporting vaccination records can feel overwhelming, especially for families juggling priorities. That’s why we’re working closely with families and school boards to help students catch up as quickly as possible, so their learning isn’t disrupted and they are still protected from serious diseases.”
The next rounds of suspension orders are scheduled to go out to Peel students throughout March and April. As of the week of March 9, 15,861 students are slated for potential suspension. The exact number varies by week and is expected to decrease as PPH continues to work quickly with families to receive updated vaccination information. Medical Officers of Health have the operational discretion to make decisions about ISPA enforcement. Suspension is a last resort and is used only when the required documentation is not received by the deadline.
How Peel Public Health is working with families and schools:
- PPH provides 2 separate notification letters a few months apart with clear instruction to give families time to catch up on missing vaccines or report doses to PPH before a suspension order is issued.
- PPH is holding in-school vaccination catch up clinics for secondary students. Families can also book an appointment for March Break clinics.
- Public health nurses will provide extra onsite support to schools leading up to suspension periods. Staff have also equipped school boards with webinars and communication toolkits to help guide families through the process.
Things parents can do right now
- Check your child’s vaccination record online
Check if you have submitted all vaccine records to Peel Public Health at peelregion.ca/reportvaccines. If information is missing, you can enter and upload records through the website. Vaccines required for school include protection against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella, and meningococcal disease.
If your child is 16 years or older, they will need to call PPH themselves to access their account. Because of privacy legislation, information about their account cannot be provided to parents without the child’s consent.
- Report any missing vaccinations
If your child already has the vaccines, report them as soon as you receive a letter from Peel Public Health. In some cases, records may appear incomplete even when a student isn’t missing vaccines; this happens when doses have not yet been reported to public health.
You can report at peelregion.ca/reportvaccines. An instructional video on the website can help those who need it.
To report, you will need:
- Child’s Ontario Health Card or Ontario Immunization ID
- Child’s full name, address, and date of birth
- Date and name of each vaccine received
- School name (if applicable)
Families are responsible for reporting their child’s vaccination records to public health. Doctors do not report vaccinations.
It can take a few business days for submitted records to be processed so parents are encouraged to catch up on any missing vaccines and report them as soon as possible.
If you don’t have an Ontario Health Card, call Peel Public Health at 9057997700 or 18889197800 Monday–Friday, during regular business hours. Translation support is available.
- Catch up on missing vaccines
If your child is missing vaccine doses, book an appointment with your healthcare provider or at a Peel Public Health clinic.
The importance of ISPA and routine immunization
The latest data from Public Health Ontario’s Immunization Data Tool shows that Peel’s immunization coverage continues to recover from COVID-19 related disruptions, though gaps remain.
“Catching up on routine vaccinations keeps our children and community healthy,” said Nazia Peer, Director of Immunization Services, Peel Region. “Vaccination is one of the most effective public health measures available, protecting not only each student but classmates, teachers, and vulnerable community members.”
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