The number of students behind on immunizations has been slashed in more than half since 2023, Algoma Public Health reports
The number of students behind on immunization records has plummeted in the Algoma region.
According to Algoma Public Health, the number of local students aged 4 to 18 with incomplete immunization records has been cut by more than half since 2023.
In July 2023, 7,655 students had incomplete immunization records across the region, which dropped to 3,755 students in January 2025.
This past July, just 1,717 elementary and high school students were still overdue on mandatory vaccines, according to the most recent report from Dr. Jennifer Loo, medical officer of health and CEO.
“We continue to do the work of receiving immunization records and documenting them and supporting families to get folks up to date, and we’ll keep on doing this work until such time that a centralized provincial or national immunization information system is built,” said Loo at Wednesday’s board of health meeting.
Catch-up clinics are running this fall, said Loo’s report, in order to “help Algoma students get up to date on their vaccines and immunization records, as required by the Immunization of School Pupils Act.”
“The ISPA protects children against nine designated vaccine-preventable diseases,” the report said.
“These vaccines are delivered through primary care settings, school-based immunization programs, and at APH clinics for individuals without a health-care provider.”
Without medical or non-medical exemptions, students can face suspension for up to 20 days for failing to keep their immunizations up to date, APH previously told SooToday.
In the past few years, thousands of students have been suspended for that reason.
In 2023-24, 3,786 students between the ages of 7 and 17 were suspended, with an additional 140 students aged 14 to 17 suspended in 2024-25.
When asked why different cohorts faced suspensions over the two years, associate medical officer of health Dr. John Tuinema said resource constraints affected which age groups APH focused on.
“The first year that we did it, we looked at the cohort from 7 to 17, and that was done purposefully due to resource constraints,” Tuinema said.
“The next year we were facing significant sort of resource constraints as well, so we only looked at the high school years.”
This year, the plan is “to look at everybody from 4 to 18 again,” Tuinema said, adding that the steep drop in incomplete immunization records indicates “that we’re heading in a very positive direction.”
For students who are still behind on immunizations, APH plans to send notices to families this fall to allow time for immunization ahead of potential suspension in spring 2026.