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Immunization clinics helps students avoid suspension by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff 7 | Friday, January 22, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Halton Region's Health Department is offering in-school immunization clinics for students who were born in 1998 and 1999 and have incomplete immunizations -- saving them from being suspended. The clinics will be held in February to help the students avoid school suspension. Under the provincial Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), students must have up-to-date immunization records to attend school. Local health departments are responsible for confirming the immunization records of students to ensure they have either the legally-required immunizations or the required exemption form on file. "While the majority of families in Halton immunize their children to protect their health, many are unaware they need to notify the Halton Region Health Department about any immunizations their children have or do not have," stated Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region's Medical Officer of Health, in a press release issued this week. "We don't want anyone to miss school, so as we enforce provincial immunization legislation, we're making sure it's easy for students to get updated immunizations by holding clinics in their school." We don't want anyone to miss school, so as we enforce provincial immunization legislation, we're making sure it's easy for students to get updated immunizations by holding clinics in their school. Halton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hamidah Meghani Halton Region's Health Department will hold immunization clinics next month to help students, born in 1998 and 1999, update their immunizations and avoid possible suspension from school, required under provincial immunization legislation if immunizations are not kept updated. | Oakville Beaver file photo This year, students born in 1998 and 1999 could face suspension starting in April if they don't have all of the required immunizations. Students are required to be vaccinated against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus poliomyelitis (DPTP), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and meningococcal disease in order to attend school. Families with children born in 1998 and 1999, whose immunization records are incomplete, received notices from the local health department in July and December last year. If families do not want to wait for the February in-school clinics, they can also receive all required vaccines through their family doctor and report these immunizations back to the Halton Region Health Department. Although the Region's Health Department is taking steps to ensure the immunizations of students born in 1998 and 1999 are upto-date, all families are encouraged to review their children's immunization history and make sure the Health Department has updated records either online at halton.ca/immunize, by dialing 311 or by dropping off a copy of their child's immunization record to the Halton Region Health Department at 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville. T H E L I V I N G A R T S C E N T R E p r e s e n t s Moon vs Sun CHANTAL KREVIAZUK & RAINE MAIDA CHANTAL Featuring Featuring FEB 12 8 PM NEW YEAR'S SPECIALS! BRUCE COCKBURN Winner of 12 JUNO Awards FEB 25 8 PM