An Ontario public health unit has issued a directive to suspend 1,624 elementary students due to outdated vaccination records as the province continues to grapple with a measles outbreak.
The notice was issued April 2 by the Region of Waterloo Public Health, in accordance with the Immunization of School Pupils Act.
All elementary and secondary school students must have proof of these vaccinations or a valid exemption on file with Public Health to stay in school, according to the act.
The legislation obligates public health authorities to retain vaccination records for all students enrolled in private, public, and Catholic schools within their jurisdictions.
Health units have the authority under the act to suspend students whose vaccine records are not up-to-date.
Measles Outbreak
Ontario has been experiencing a measles outbreak since last October. Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said last week the outbreak is expected to extend into the summer months, but the slower rate of new cases indicates it may not escalate.Among the reported cases in 2025, five children or adolescents required hospitalization.
Among all outbreak cases, 436 were in infants, children, or adolescents, while 132 were in adults. The age of one case was not known.
Among the 42 outbreak cases requiring hospitalization, 36 have been children, the majority of whom were unvaccinated. Two of those hospitalized required intensive care.
Moore indicated in a memo to local medical health officers earlier this month that the measles outbreak is disproportionately affecting some Mennonite, Amish, and other Anabaptist communities, largely due to lower vaccination levels and higher exposure rates.
He noted that the outbreak originated from a large event attended by individuals from Mennonite communities in New Brunswick last fall. He said last week that the overwhelming majority of cases are concentrated in those communities, prompting local public health units to prioritize outreach efforts there.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that is transmitted when infected individuals cough or sneeze into the air. It can also be spread through contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth after touching a contaminated surface. Common symptoms of measles consist of fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a red, blotchy rash.
Measles can also lead to serious complications including blindness, severe breathing problems including pneumonia, and encephalitis, an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Complications are most common in children younger than five, adults older than 30, and in pregnant women, the WHO said. If a woman contracts measles during pregnancy, this can result in her baby being born prematurely with a low birth weight.
A research article released in the Canadian Journal of Public Health in October found a decline in measles vaccination rates among children aged two to seven prior to, during, and following the COVID-19 pandemic.
