Over 50% of Toronto and Ottawa Students Lack Updated Vaccination Records

Public health records reveal that more than half of students in Toronto and Ottawa are not compliant with vaccination requirements as the season for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations approaches. According to a report by The Canadian Press, approximately 54% of students assessed in Toronto have not submitted their immunization records, raising concerns about public health safety.

Toronto Public Health noted that it sent out around 60,000 letters during the summer to families of students in Grades 2 to 5 who had not provided the necessary vaccination documentation. As of early October, about 50,000 students remain non-compliant. This situation poses a significant risk, particularly since some grades report that as few as 25% of students have up-to-date vaccination records.

In Ottawa, the situation mirrors that of Toronto. As of October 12, 2023, the local public health unit indicated that immunization records for approximately 16,000 students in Grades 2 to 12 were not current, representing over 66% of that cohort. Ontario mandates that parents submit these records to local public health units, which also communicate with families who have failed to comply or have sought vaccination exemptions.

The timing of this issue coincides with a troubling trend; Canada is experiencing a decline in vaccination rates amid a surge of misinformation circulating online. The country is at risk of losing its measles-free status due to an ongoing outbreak that has affected more than 5,000 individuals over the past year. The Pan American Health Organization will evaluate Canada’s vaccination rates later this year, requiring proof that they have improved to at least 95% in order to maintain elimination status.

Dr. Michelle Murti, Toronto’s medical officer of health, emphasized the need for a centralized vaccination record system. “We’ve been screaming from the rooftops for years on this issue,” she stated, advocating for health providers to input vaccination records directly into a provincial or national registry. Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, supports this idea but acknowledged the challenges posed by fragmented data storage across various healthcare systems.

The Ontario Ministry of Health is actively working to enhance public access to vaccination records, though a timeline for implementation remains uncertain. As public health officials grapple with these challenges, the urgency of ensuring that students are vaccinated against preventable diseases becomes increasingly critical.